Arsenic contamination in food chain in Bangladesh: A review on health hazards, socioeconomic impacts and implications

Arsenic is a well-known natural toxic metalloid that has a long history of being a poison to humans. Arsenic contamination in groundwater and foodstuff in Bangladesh is one of the severe public health concerns. Even decades after the problem was identified, millions of people are still exposed to arsenic through their drinking water and food. Many adverse health effects of chronic arsenic exposure are evident in Bangladesh including arsenicosis, various types of cancers, neurological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, respiratory diseases, renal and reproductive diseases as well as cause multi-organ pathologies. Arsenic exposure also has detrimental effects on child health and development. Maternal arsenic exposure during pregnancy has an association with increased risk of infant mortality, spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, preterm birth, low birth weight, delayed child growth, unhealthy immune system, lower IQ, neurotoxicity, and neurodevelopmental impairment. In Bangladesh, patients with arsenicosis have been suffering from the most awful socioeconomic problems than any other patients who are suffering from other arsenic exposure-associated diseases. Therefore, this narrative review paper explores the current scenarios of arsenic contamination in groundwater and food in Bangladesh with an emphasis on socioeconomic impacts of arsenic exposure-associated diseases in both adults and children. It also accumulates the last two decades of arsenic-related research findings to identify the sustainable solution/management of arsenic toxicity which includes safe drinking water, nutritious food, sufficient physical exercise, mass awareness, cost-effective and sustainable treatment through nutraceuticals.