Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2016 Feb 9:35:4.
doi: 10.1186/s41043-016-0041-5.

Water Quality Index for measuring drinking water quality in rural Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study

Tahera Akter  1 , Fatema Tuz Jhohura  2 , Fahmida Akter  3 , Tridib Roy Chowdhury  4 , Sabuj Kanti Mistry  5 , Digbijoy Dey  6 , Milan Kanti Barua  7 , Md Akramul Islam  8   9 , Mahfuzar Rahman  10
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Water Quality Index for measuring drinking water quality in rural Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study

Tahera Akter et al. J Health Popul Nutr. .

Abstract

Background: Public health is at risk due to chemical contaminants in drinking water which may have immediate health consequences. Drinking water sources are susceptible to pollutants depending on geological conditions and agricultural, industrial, and other man-made activities. Ensuring the safety of drinking water is, therefore, a growing problem. To assess drinking water quality, we measured multiple chemical parameters in drinking water samples from across Bangladesh with the aim of improving public health interventions.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study conducted in 24 randomly selected upazilas, arsenic was measured in drinking water in the field using an arsenic testing kit and a sub-sample was validated in the laboratory. Water samples were collected to test water pH in the laboratory as well as a sub-sample of collected drinking water was tested for water pH using a portable pH meter. For laboratory testing of other chemical parameters, iron, manganese, and salinity, drinking water samples were collected from 12 out of 24 upazilas.

Results: Drinking water at sample sites was slightly alkaline (pH 7.4 ± 0.4) but within acceptable limits. Manganese concentrations varied from 0.1 to 5.5 mg/L with a median value of 0.2 mg/L. The median iron concentrations in water exceeded WHO standards (0.3 mg/L) at most of the sample sites and exceeded Bangladesh standards (1.0 mg/L) at a few sample sites. Salinity was relatively higher in coastal districts. After laboratory confirmation, arsenic concentrations were found higher in Shibchar (Madaripur) and Alfadanga (Faridpur) compared to other sample sites exceeding WHO standard (0.01 mg/L). Of the total sampling sites, 33 % had good-quality water for drinking based on the Water Quality Index (WQI). However, the majority of the households (67 %) used poor-quality drinking water.

Conclusions: Higher values of iron, manganese, and arsenic reduced drinking water quality. Awareness raising on chemical contents in drinking water at household level is required to improve public health.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Selected upazila for water sample collection
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Specification for drinking water. New Delhi, India: Food and Agricultural Division Council; 2012.
    1. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) Guide manual: water and waste water. New Delhi, India: Central Pollution Control Board; 2013.
    1. World Health Organization (WHO) Guideline for drinking water quality. 2012.
    1. Ochuko U, Thaddeus O, Oghenero OA, John EE. A comparative assessment of water quality index (WQI) and suitability of river Ase for domestic water supply in urban and rural communities in Southern Nigeria. Int J Human Soc Sci. 2014;4(1):234–45.
    1. Tyagi S, Sharma B, Singh P, Dobhal R. Water quality assessment in terms of Water Quality Index. Am J Water Resour. 2013;1(3):34–8.

Publication types