Volume 15, Issue 59, 2026
Research Article
Assessment of Arsenic Contamination in Groundwater in Selected Villages of Naugachia Koshi Region, Bhagalpur, Bihar, India
Madhuri Kumari, Usha Sharma and A.K. Jha
Keywords: Arsenic contamination, groundwater quality, Merckoquant kit, electrical conductivity, total hardness, Naugachia, Bhagalpur, Bihar, Koshi plains
Abstract
Arsenic contamination of groundwater is a serious public health concern in the koshi plains of Bihar, India. The present study was conducted to assess the concentration of arsenic along with key physicochemical parameters electrical conductivity and total hardness in groundwater samples collected from three villages, namely Punama, Shripur, and Dhobiniya, located in the Naugachia Block of Bhagalpur District, Bihar. A total of 30 groundwater samples (10 per village) were collected from handpumps and shallow tube-wells. Arsenic concentration was determined using the Merckoquant semi-quantitative test kit method. Electrical conductivity (EC) was measured using a calibrated EC meter, and total hardness was determined by acid-base titration using N/50 HCl with methanol as indicator. Results revealed arsenic concentrations ranging from not detectable (ND) to 0.070 ppm in Dhobiniya, 0.010–0.050 ppm in Shripur, and ND–0.030 ppm in Punama. Several samples from Dhobiniya and Shripur exceeded the WHO guideline value of 0.010 ppm and approached or exceeded the BIS permissible limit of 0.050 ppm, indicating a significant public health risk. Conductivity values were highest in Dhobiniya (up to 1.72 mS/cm), suggesting elevated dissolved ionic load. Hardness followed the trend Dhobiniya > Shripur > Punama, with Dhobiniya water classified as moderately to very hard. The study underscores the urgent need for continuous groundwater monitoring, community awareness, and installation of arsenic removal units in the affected villages.
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