Arsenic Case Study- Student Guidelines

The World Water Forum is the main water-related event in the world, aimed at putting water on the international agenda. A stepping stone towards global collaboration on water problems, the forum offers the water community, policy and decision makers throughout the worldthe unique opportunity to come together to collaborate, debate and find solutions for water security.

On March 16-22, 2003 the 3rd World Water Forum met in Kyoto, Japanto discuss arsenic contamination in drinking water. Participants agree it has become a serious challenge for people living in various parts of Asia as well as Latin America. According to experts, “the estimated number of people drinking arsenic-contaminated groundwater is of astonishing proportions; conservative estimates put the total number at greater than 50 million in the Asian region alone”. (The 3rd World Water Forum) Naturally-occurring and human-induced arsenic pollution in drinking water has been discovered in many parts of the world making this a global issue.

As a member of the World Health Organization, your task is to ensure that clean, arsenic-free water is available to everyone. Your years of experience have taught you access to safe water is a complicated issue affecting people’s health, food supplies, living conditions, businesses and incomes. To complete your task, you will need to investigate regions of the world known to have arsenic in their water supply. During investigation you will determine how arsenic got into the water and impact it has had on the local residents’ health. Whilevisiting affected regions, gather information to persuade the United Nations to hold a Global UN Conference on the Arsenic Crisis.

Begin your investigation with the following sites:

  • World Water Forum
  • 3rd World Water Forum
  • Publications & Reports
  • PDF of the 5th World Water Forum Political Process
  • Chronic Arsenic Poisoning: History, Study and Remediation
  • British Geological Survey
  • Arsenic in Groundwater across the World
  • Arsenic: In Search of an Antidote to a Global Poison
  • Blog on Arsenic Problem

Answer the following questions as you research the sites:

  1. List the specific source of arsenic contamination in each of the affected areas.
  1. Was the source of contamination human-induced or natural? Explain. If the source was human-induced, who should be held responsible?
  1. What impact does this issue have on area residents? Are there other sources of water? Is climate a factor?
  1. What dietary concerns may residents have if their clean water supply is limited?
  1. List examples of specific health issues with arsenic poisoning.

Once you have completed your research you will use information you gathered for questions 1 – 5 to write a formal letter to the United Nations Secretary General asking for a special conference on the global arsenic crisis. Begin your letter by stating the problem and recommendations to the United Nations. Include supporting details from your research in the main body of the letter.

Follow the format for a business letter as shown below:

{NOTE: your name goes only at the bottom}

Your Return Address (no abbreviations for Street, Avenue, etc.)
Your City, YO [your two letter state abbreviation] zip
Date (write out either like June 4, 2004 or 4 June 2004)

First and Last Name of the Person to whom you are writing
Address
City, State & Zip

Dear Mr./Ms. Person: [note the colon]

Times have changed, and indentations for paragraphs are usually not used because it is easier not to use them. The body paragraphs should be single spaced in a business letter. But you should double space between paragraphs when your letter contains more than one paragraph.

In a second paragraph, you will want to give a specific example of how you benefited from your contact with this person. Be sure to thank him/her for his/her time and efforts on your behalf.

A business letter is not restricted to one page; the letter should be as long as it needs to be. Please note the line spacing!

Sincerely yours,

{Three spaces so that your signature may appear here}

[Put your full name here, signed and printed below it]

Example:

(Your signature on top)

John Hancock (Your printed name below your signature)

Taken from Author Tevosmart

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Edited by Stephanie Nardei, MLSUniversity of Arizona Southwest Environmental HealthScienceCenter