Excessive manganese causes health concern

Experts emphasised Sunday on ensuring lowcost quality water-testing services that will be easily available across the country to ensure safe drinking water.
They said increased level of manganese in underground water is a growing concern as it could reduce IQ level of children threatening public health.
They said these while addressing the experience sharing event on NGO Forum's Efforts to Ensure Safe Water through Water Quality Testing Services at DPHE conference room in the city organised by NGO Forum for Public Health.
Stamford University Bangladesh Vice-chancellor Professor M Feroze Ahmed was present as the chief guest while Dhaka University Geology department Prof Kazi Matin Ahmed and ICDDR,B Environmental Micro-biologist Md Sirajul Islam were present as special guests.
Prof Kazi Matin Ahmed said: "Globally, around 98 per cent readily available fresh water comes from ground water. But in Bangladesh we found arsenic, manganese, fluoride, etc in our groundwater that is putting public health at an increasing risk"
He also said, "Among this increased amount of manganese in groundwater is a growing issue. In Bangladesh, the standard level of manganese is 0.1 milligram in one litre of water as per department of environment. On the other hand, World Health Organisation set level is 0.4 milligram."
"We found 0.5 to 5 milligram manganese in underground water here. So we need research and analysis on existence of manganese and its impact on the people of Bangladesh," he said.   
Stamford University Bangladesh Vice-chancellor Professor M Feroze Ahmed said "General people have very little access to the government-run water quality testing laboratories that are equipped with latest scientific equipment."
"It is very important to maintain quality of water throughout its collection to consumption cycle. Access to water quality testing services is not sufficient. We need lab but maintenance of it is very expensive and tough," he said.
Bacterial contamination is still found to be present in around 40 per cent of tubewell water while 19 per cent of the tested water contains very high level of bacterial presence.
This is an area where the water sector is still confronting and challenges are increasing as the country faces a projection of 50 per cent population to be residing in urban areas by 2030.
The speakers also stated that around 10 per cent of maternal deaths are occurring due to Hepatitis E in Bangladesh. Experts at the event opined that 10 -12 per cent of maternal deaths could be stopped just by ensuring safe WaSH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene).
The speakers stressed the need for ensuring people-friendly water quality testing services for the rural people as well. They recommended inclusion of internationally used new parameters of agricultural wastes and industrial wastes into the testing services.
NGO Forum executive director said that the Laboratory was established in August, 2000 considering the inadequate international standard water quality testing facilities available to general people. It is equipped with sophisticated scientific instruments that can test water samples using a total of 41 parametres.
He stated that the Water Quality Testing Laboratory of NGO Forum is approved and rewarded internationally and has been ensuring quality testing facilities for both drinking and wastewater at a moderate price which a few Laboratories can offer.
Various national and international organisations have been using its services. The Laboratory is presently conducting 12,000 to 16,000 tests round the year on an average.  
Under its water quality testing services the NGO Forum also offers a cheap and user-friendly Microkit that is widely used at the field level to detect bacterial contamination in drinking water.
Hasnat Milton, Senior Lecturer, School of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Newcastle University, Australia presented a keynote paper on NGO Forum's Efforts to Ensure Safe Water through Water Quality Testing Services.
Mahfuzar Rahman, Programme Head, Research and Evaluation Division, BRAC moderated the sessions.
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