The Taiwan Crisis: a showcase of the global arsenic problem

Foreword by Dr. King-Ho Wang Authors preface About the authors Acknowledgements 1. Taiwan and the global arsenic problem 1.1 General introduction to the arsenic problem 1.2 Arsenic: From history to Taiwan 1.3 Arsenic: From Taiwan To the end of the 20th century 1.4 Arsenic in the 21st century- Recognizing groundwater arsenic as a global problem 1.5 Regulations of arsenic contents in drinking water and its impact on the exposed population 1.6 Why was the "Taiwan signal" not immediately recognized worldwide? 1.7 Why does arsenic continue to affect people worldwide? 2. Geological controls of arsenic concentrations in ground- and surface waters-An overview of our worldwide state-of-the-art knowledge 2.1 Arsenic in the earth's environments and introduction into ground- and surface-water resources 2.2 Geogenic arsenic: Occurence and sources 2.3 Mechanisms of arsenic mobilization into aqueous environments: an overview 2.4 Sulfide oxidation 2.5 Arsenic input due to leaching in geothermal reservoirs; the role of geothermal fluids 2.6 The role of Fe, Mn, and Al oxides and oxyhydroxides as sources and sinks for dissolved arsenic 2.7 Adsorption processes and capacity of clay minerals 2.8 Precipitation/dissolution and sorption processes of calcite 2.9 Interactions between arsenic and humic substances 3. History of blackfoot disease 3.1 Prologue: A mysterious disease 3.2 Clinical characteristics of blackfoot disease 3.3 Pathological findings of blackfoot disease 3.4 Epidemiological characteristics of blackfoot disease 4. Cause of blackfoot disease: Arsenic in artesian well water 4.1 Types of wells in blackfoot disease endemic area 4.2 Characteristics pf well water in blackfoot disease endemic area 4.3 Arsenic levels in well water in Lanyang plain 4.4 Association between blackfoot disease and the artesian well water 4.5 Arsenic in drinking water: The cause of blackfoot disease 4.6 Co-morbidity of unique arsenic-induced skin lesions and blackfoot disease 4.7 Host and environmental co-factors for blackfoot disease 4.8 Arsenic in drinking water and circulatory disease other than blackfoot disease 4.9 Arsenic in drinking water and prevalence of diabetis and hypertension 4.10 Reduction in mortality of arsenic-induced diseases after implementation of of public water supply system in the endemic area of blackfoot disease 5. Non-vascular health effects of arsenic in drinking water in Taiwan 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Skin cancer 5.3 Internal cancers 5.4 Eye diseases 5.5 Other health outcomes 5.6 Summary and conclusions 6. Arsenic sources, occurrences and mobility in surface water, groundwater and sediments 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Hydrogeology and sedimentology of aquifers 6.3 Potential arsenic sources 6.4 Arsenic distributions and controls 6.5 Arsenic in mud volcanoes and hot springs 6.6 Concluding remarks 7. Arsenic in soils and plants: accumulation and bioavailability 7.1 Accumulation and behavior of arsenic in soil 7.2 Bioaccumulation of arsenic in plants and crops 8. Potential threat of the use of arsenic contaminated water in aquaculture 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Arsenic in aquacultural organisms 8.3 Arsenic methylation capability 8.4 Health risk assessment 9. Current solutions to arsenic contaminated water 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Change of water source 9.3 Water treatment processes for centralized systems 9.4 Point of use and entry devices 9.5 Case study in southwestern Taiwan 9.6 Recommendations 10. Future areas of study and tasks for the Taiwan arsenic problem 10.1 Sources of arsenic and mobilization in groundwater 10.2 Human impact through the food chain 10.3 Health effects of arsenic in drinking water, treatment, risk assessment and prevention 10.4 Future treatment demands, including nano technology References Subject index Locality index