The Geogenic Contamination Handbook: Addressing arsenic and fluoride in drinking water

In some groundwaters, arsenic and fluoride can reach concentrations that are hazardous to human health if geological and geochemical conditions favour the release of these contaminants. This can especially pose a problem in developing countries where water service providers already struggle with the provision of clean water. The Geogenic Contamination Handbook, released in January 2015, aims to provide concise guidelines for practitioners faced with the problem of geogenically contaminated drinking water in low- and middle-income countries. The handbook is a digital resource, with the reader benefitting from numerous weblinks and embedded documents giving additional information where relevant. The necessary steps needed for sustainable mitigation of arsenic or fluoride-contaminated drinking water are outlined. This includes information on water quality testing (e.g. how to plan a field survey), different water treatment options as well as practical guidelines on the integration of technical, institutional and sociological aspects of arsenic and fluoride mitigation.