Groundwater arsenic contamination status in more than 16 districts of Bihar resulted blindness in 18 newborn babies.

Among all 16 districts of Bihar, Bhojpur appears on the top in arsenic contamination with 1,861 parts per billion (ppb) against the World Health Organization's limit of 50 ppb.

Doctors said that the people using groundwater in the districts affected by arsenic contamination commonly suffers from infections like; cancer of the intestines, liver, kidneys and bladder and that bone deformity, gangrene and skin disorders but this is the first episode when blind babies are attributed to arsenic contamination.

Arsenic is an odourless and tasteless semi-metal element which occurs naturally in the environment and easily soluble in water.

At times it also crop up as a byproduct of agriculture and industry due to heavy use of pesticides and insecticides or unprocessed waste matter flows into water bodies.

Dr S. K. Kedia, an eye specialist in Ara, found that all the babies including male and female both were born with the visual disability and 90% of all the newborn babies born affected belongs to poor families living in villages of Bhaluipur, Barahra, Bihia, Shahpur and Sandesh. These villages were seemed to be most affected areas from arsenic. He also said that these poor families had been using communities hand pumps from years.

Another Dr K. K. Labh does not share opinion with Dr. Kedia, Dr. K. K. Labh doubts this examination. He believed that alone use of groundwater contaminated by arsenic is not sufficient to arrive at a conclusion stating that arsenic is the main cause leading to blindness. But on the contrary Dr. Kedia surely believes that all the babies born with visual disability are affected by the contamination of arsenic.

DR. K. K. labh said that several other causes that could lead to blindness in the babies are ; the impact of electromagnetic waves from cell-phone towers, presence of lead in drinking water sources, non-judicious medication by expecting mothers and environmental pollution. We need to conduct several micro-tests to firmly ascertain that arsenic is the main cause that reduces visual abilities in babies.