Cow dung is the latest culprit found to be causing arsenic poisoning in unsuspecting villagers in West Bengal, India. During the last century people livingin China, Nepal, India and Bangladesh were encouraged to use well water rather than surface water. Whilst reducing the number of casualties from bacterial diseases, it was soon discovered that the well water is contaminated by arsenic leaching from rock. Sickness through drinking the well water and rice, and other crops, irrigated with contaminated water has been widely reported. Dipankar Chakraborti and colleagues from Jadavpur University, India, have now discovered another related route through which people in West Bengal are exposed to arsenic.
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