High rates of skin cancer in West Bengal, India, and Bangladesh led to the discovery in 1993 that groundwater supplies for 30 million people are contaminated with arsenic.

The cause, natural leaching of arsenic from the sediment in contact with the groundwater, has been identified, but there is no easy solution.

The world scientific community has been studying the problem and Bangladesh is overwhelmed by suggestions of what they should do. But the problem persists.

George Breit MSc Geochemistry ’80, PhD Geochemistry ’86 was one of four U.S. Geological Survey scientists who traveled to Bangladesh in February to conduct a study.

"We asked ourselves ‘what can we provide that’s unique?’" says Breit. A lot of work has been done in the southern and western parts of the country, so Breit and his team went to the east along the Meghna River.

Along with analyzing the samples he took while there, Breit and his team plan to return to explain to the Bangladeshis what they have learned.

"Often, scientists don’t go back and explain their results to the people affected," Breit says. "But these people are fully capable of understanding our results and successfully applying some of the technology used elsewhere in the world. They have the manpower and the intelligence."

Bangladesh is a small country about the size of Wisconsin with a population of about 130 million.

When Bangladesh gained independence in the 1970s, the population was drinking surface water contaminated with cholera, dysentery and other pathogens.

To solve this problem, international organizations funded an effort to build tube wells throughout the country.

Now, this new problem has emerged. Bangladesh needs to be able to tell which wells are contaminated and which are safe and there is a national effort to test every well. But scientists would also like to learn what is happening.

"Arsenic contamination is becoming a global issue, says Breit, even in the United States. Drinking arsenic-contaminated water increases one’s chance of getting cancer 10-fold, more than if one smoked a pack of cigarettes a day. "It’s a challenging problem," continues Breit. "We’re working to better understand how we’re modifying our environment."

Although Bangladesh is a country of few resources, the people manage very well with simple tools.

Four men using hand tools can drill 160 feet down in six hours.

Because the mission was collaborative, the U.S. team worked closely with Bangladeshi scientists. "They were about as successful at collecting samples using hand tools as we are using more complex drill rigs."

Breit says the best part of the trip for him was the people.

He found them friendly, curious and eager to learn. He described his participation in the project as "a very good thing.

I had the chance to be relevant on a higher level. We may be able to provide real-time information that may help save lives."