Arsenic in groundwater research is conducted under the NSF funded project “The dynamic iron curtain surrounding fluctuating rivers and its impacts on arsenic fate and transport”. It is an effort of many people from several different countries. I feel lucky to be able to help with the field work completed in January 2020 (Right before COVID hit the world…).

We were in a small village out at the bank of Meghna River near Dhaka, Bangladesh. Warm people, meaningful eyes were all around us.

It is one of the best times of my life and a great field experience !

Field work

We have used chemistry kits to measure Arsenic in local’s personal groundwater wells. They were so appreciative of that. They brought glasses of waters to us to learn how dangerous it is to drink their water which they have been using. Kids were involved in the measurement process and read the results by themselves.

We dug holes with augers to see the sediment type in the first few meters. Red soil is rich in Iron and can be affecting the Arsenic concentrations in the soil by immobilizing them.

Locals helped us drill permanent observation wells. The method that they use was very interesting to watch. The person who is standing on the bench is basically creating suction with his hand letting the water flow out of the tube as the the other person pushes the casing further. An engineering masterpiece !

We mapped the subsurface geology with Electricla Resistivity Imaging technique. It is an amazing tool for shallow aquifer hydrogeology that sends electrical currents and measures the resistivity of the materials to the current. Every material has a specific range of resistivity which helps us to understand what’s in there.

Friends and other team members

I made a lot of friends in this field trip. A very good ones. We even exchanged gifts with each other. They are so smart and genuine ! The girl who holds my arm on the left became my best friend. We even cried when I was leaving ..

Beautiful people. I hope all the kids were going to school. Unfortunately, some were not. I really wish that we touched to their heats and gave them a different perspective, a new goal to shoot for..

They were so helpful. Took some water samples, installed piezometers (small wells to monitor groundwater level and chemistry). They were our little scientists :)

We were a great team together. I love them all !