Study Links Arsenic in Water to Heart Disease Risk in Assam

A Columbia University study has found that long-term exposure to arsenic in water increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, even at levels below the regulatory limit. This is particularly significant for Assam, where arsenic contamination is present in 19 districts, including Sivasagar, Jorhat, and Golaghat.

The study revealed that women with a 10-year exposure to arsenic levels at or above 5 μg/L face a higher risk of ischemic heart disease. The Bureau of Indian Standards lowered the acceptable limit for arsenic in drinking water to 0.01 mg/L in 2015.