Bihar
Water Causing Cancer in Bihar’s Gangetic Plains
- 13 Dec 2024
- 4 min read
Why in News?
- Recently, a study by scientists from Mahavir Cancer Sansthan, Patna revealed that Manganese (Mn) contamination of water is causing cancer in the Gangetic plains of Bihar.
Key Points
- Rise in Cancer Cases in Bihar
- Significant increase in cancer cases in Bihar over the last few decades.
- Multiple contributors to cancer, with manganese toxicity highlighted as a trace element influencing carcinogenesis.
- Study Findings:
- Sample Size: Blood samples from 1,146 cancer patients across Patna, Vaishali, East Champaran, Muzaffarpur, Siwan, and Saran.
- Gender Distribution: 67% females, 33% males, aged 2-92 years.
- Cancer Types:
- Breast Cancer: 33.25%
- Hepatobiliary and Gastrointestinal Cancer: 26.96%
- Cervical Cancer: 5.58%
- Other Cancers (Oral, Nasal, etc.): 34.78%
- Cancer Classification:
- Observation:
- Blood samples from cancer patients revealed Mn contamination, with levels reaching up to 6,022 µg/L in severe cases.
- Elevated Mn levels in household hand pump water showed a strong correlation with Mn in patients' blood.
- Manganese in Hand Pump Water:
- 84.8% of samples were within Bureau of Indian standards (BIS) mandated limits (100 µg/L).
- 15.2% of samples exceeded permissible levels, with some above 400 µg/L.
- Geospatial Analysis:
- High Mn levels found in the Middle Gangetic Plain and southwestern- northeastern Bihar.
- Geo-mapping highlights correlation between Mn concentrations in water and cancer incidence.
- Toxicity of Manganese:
- Manganese is critical for body homeostasis but toxic in excess.
- Sources of Exposure can be from sedimentary or igneous rock deposits, Industrial pollution, etc.
- First Case in India was documented in 1957 among miners in Maharashtra, movement.
- Other Affected Areas reported in West Bengal, Karnataka, and globally in countries like Nigeria, Bangladesh, and China.
Heavy Metal Pollution
- Heavy Metals:
- Heavy metals may be defined as elements with an atomic number larger than 20 and an atomic density greater than 5 g cm-3 that must possess metal-like characteristics. Example: arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, uranium etc.
- Heavy Metal Pollution:
- Heavy metal pollution has been caused in our rivers, soils, and environment as a result of rapidly growing agriculture and metal industries, improper waste management, heavy use of fertilizers, and pesticides.
- Agricultural and industrial operations, landfilling, mining, and transportation are the primary sources of heavy metals in groundwater.
- Through the agricultural water runoff heavy metals reach upto river.
- Discharge of wastewater from industries (like the tannery industry which is a big source of chromium heavy metals) directly into river bodies intensified the severity of the heavy metal pollution.
- Heavy metals have the property of long persistent in plants, animals and the environment.with symptoms including weakness, emotional instability, and difficulty with
