frank lee bent wrote:i think it is hazardous all year.
you can go deeper for better water, but you cannot treat it cost effectively if contaminated heavily.
must test.
the effects are cumulative over years and by the time ppl become symptomatic the damage is done

Kuroneko wrote:While water testing is always prudent I dont think Arsenic was the cause of the problem in this instance.Note I am not saying that Arsenic is not a problem per se. Pre Veng has much higher concentrations than Svay Rieng and contamination is also dependent on type of wells.Dug wells being safer than tube wells

" Dug wells provide a water source that is much less likely to be contaminated with arsenic. One study of dug wells in proximity (500 meters) to arsenic-contaminated tube wells found that dug wells were 90 - 95% likely to have arsenic concentrations below 50μg/L" p12 of this report http://techhumanface.org/Working/wp-con ... Report.pdf (A STUDY OF OPTIONS FOR SAFE WATER ACCESS IN ARSENIC AFFECTED COMMUNITIES IN CAMBODIA)

The description of the victims seems more akin to a bacterial infection or possibly pesticide contamination. A few years ago a number of villagers in Svay Rieng province (i think, sorry cant find report) got food poisoning from pesticide infected vegetables that came from Vietnam. I think it was around 2010 and about 60 or 70 were involved. Also there is a danger to dry season farmers and their families from the use of pesticides. Sorry cant find report but the extract below comes from an article in the Cambodia Daily https://www.cambodiadaily.com/archives/ ... ays-97687/

Dangerous chemicals in pesticides commonly found in Cambodia were cypermethrin, permethrin, cholfluazuron and monocrotophos, the report said, adding these chemicals can lead to skin disorders, neurological effects, and in the long term, to cancer, reproductive problems and birth defects. “Exposure to these pesticides puts communities at high risk of developing severe permanent health problems,” said Bella Whittle of PANAP in a statement. Khorn Sdok, CEDAC project officer for pesticide monitoring, said the findings were representative for pesticide use among dry season farmers, who number around 175,000 families living in parts of Prey Veng, Svay Rieng, Takeo, Kompong Thom and Kompong Cham province. Families there were at risk, he said, adding, “The majority of these farmers face low level poisoning.” Mr Sdok explained these farmers were using 2 to 3 liters of heavy pesticide per hectare several times per week in order to protect their paddy from insects, which are abundant in the dry season.

Edit - just found a reference to the poisoning incident:

94 hospitalized with food poisoning in Svay Rieng (June 6 2012)

SVAY RIENG (Cambodia Herald) - Ninety-four people have been sent to hospital with food poisoning after eating vegetables at a house-warming party, sources said. The sources said the incident, which occurred in Pre Mnas village in Kompong Ro district’s Somlei commune on Tuesday, was blamed on pesticides from Vietnam. Thirty-five people were seriously affected by vomiting, exhaustion and headaches after consuming the vegetables. Provincial Governor Cheang Om and Svay Rieng Red Cross chief Nuon Sokha visited the hospital and donated 40,000 riel to each of the people. http://thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/9 ... rieng-1458

Note I am not saying that Arsenic is not a problem per se.

bolueeleh wrote:how do you remove pesticides with low cost solution from the water?