The Congress "Arsenic in the Environment" offers an international, multi- and interdisciplinary discussion platform for research and innovation aimed towards a holistic solution to the problem posed by the environmental toxin arsenic, with considerable societal impact. The congress has focused on cutting edge and breakthrough research in physical, chemical, toxicological, medical, agricultural and other specific issues on arsenic across a broader environmental realm. The Congress "Arsenic in the Environment" was first organized in Mexico City (As2006) followed by As2008 in Valencia, Spain, As2010 in Tainan, Taiwan, As2012 in Cairns, Australia and As2014 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The 6th International Congress As2016 was held June 19-23, 2016 in Stockholm, Sweden and was entitled Arsenic Research and Global Sustainability. The Congress addressed the broader context of arsenic research along the following themes: Theme 1: Arsenic in Environmental Matrices and Interactions (Air, Water, Soil and Biological Matrices) Theme 2: Arsenic in Food Chain Theme 3: Arsenic and Health Theme 4: Clean Water Technology for Control of Arsenic Theme 5: Societal issues, Policy Studies, Mitigation and Management Long term exposure to low-to-medium levels of arsenic via contaminated food and drinking water can have a serious impact on human health and globally, more than 100 million people are at risk. Since the end of the 20th century, arsenic in drinking water (mainly groundwater) has emerged as a global health concern. In the past decade, the presence of arsenic in plant foods - especially rice - has gained increasing attention. In the Nordic countries in particular, the use of water-soluble inorganic arsenic chemicals (e.g. chromated copper arsenate, CCA) as wood preservatives and the mining of sulfidic ores have been flagged as health concern. The issue has been accentuated by discoveries of naturally occurring arsenic in groundwater, primarily in the private wells, in parts of the Fennoscandian Shield and in sedimentary formations, with potentially detrimental effects on public health. Sweden has been at the forefront of research on the health effects of arsenic, technological solutions for arsenic removal, and sustainable mitigation measures for developing countries. Hosting this Congress in Sweden was also relevant because historically Sweden has been one of the leading producer of As2O3 and its emission from the smelting industries in northern Sweden and has successfully implemented actions to reduce the industrial emissions of arsenic as well as minimizing the use of materials and products containing arsenic in since 1977. The Congress has gathered professionals involved in different segments of interdisciplinary research in an open forum, and strengthened relations between academia, industry, research laboratories, government agencies and the private sector to share an optimal atmosphere for exchange of knowledge, discoveries and discussions about the problem of arsenic in the environment and catalyze the knowledge generation and innovations at a policy context to achieve the goals for post 2015 Sustainable Development.

The Congress and Exhibition Series "Arsenic in the Environment" offers an international, multi- and interdisciplinary discussion platform for research and innovation aimed towards a holistic solution to the challenges posed by the environmental toxin arsenic, with global societal impact. The Congress has focused on cutting edge and breakthrough research in physical, chemical, toxicological, medical, agricultural and other specific issues on arsenic across a broader environmental realm. The Biennial Congress and Exhibition "Arsenic in the Environment" was first organized in Mexico City (As2006) followed by As2008 in Valencia (Spain), As2010 in Tainan (Chinese Taiwan), As2012 in Cairns (Australia), As2014 in Buenos Aires (Argentina), As2016 in Stockholm (Sweden) and As2018 in Beijing (P.R. China). The 8th International Congress As2020 was held June 7-9, 2021 (first time digitally owing to the global COVID-19 pandemic, in Wageningen, The Netherlands) and with a title Arsenic in the Environment - Bridging Science to Practice for Sustainable Development. The Congress addressed the broader context of arsenic research aligned on the following themes: Theme 1: Arsenic in Natural Soil and Water Systems Theme 2: Arsenic in Agriculture and Food Production Theme 3: Health Impacts of Arsenic Theme 4: Technologies for Arsenic Removal from Water Theme 5: Sustainable Mitigation and Management for Sustainable Development Arsenic in drinking water and food is a major health issue, affecting millions of people in many parts of the world. In recent years serious cases of arsenic exposure through different environmental matrices have been reported from, for example, Argentina, Bangladesh, Chile, China, Taiwan, Turkey, India, Mexico, UK, USA, Pakistan, Vietnam as well as other regions in the world. Arsenic can cause a number of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic adverse effects on human health and therefore human exposure to arsenic should be avoided. Notably, The Netherlands has been in the forefront of research on arsenic removal technology and developed a cutting edge innovation to remove arsenic to levels below the WHO drinking water guideline to as low as less than 1 μg/L. This has created an enabling environment to discuss on policy issues for defining the new drinking water guideline. The Congress has attracted professionals involved in different segments of interdisciplinary research on arsenic in an open forum, and strengthened relations between academia, research institutions, government and non-governmental agencies, industries, and civil society organizations to share an optimal ambience for exchange of knowledge.

Groundwater is the most important source of domestic, industrial, and agricultural water and also a finite resource. Population growth has created an unprecedented demand for water, with the situation most critical in the developing world, where several million people depend on contaminated groundwater for drinking purposes. Geogenic contaminants, such as arsenic and fluoride at toxic levels, pose major environmental risks and endanger public health. This book is a collection of papers providing a multi-disciplinary overview for scientists and professionals involved in the sustainable development of groundwater resources.

The Congress "Arsenic in the Environment" offers an international, multi- and interdisciplinary discussion platform for research and innovation aimed towards a holistic solution to the problem posed by the environmental toxin arsenic, with significant societal impact. The Congress has focused on cutting edge and breakthrough research in physical, chemical, toxicological, medical, agricultural and other specific issues on arsenic across a broader environmental realm. The Biennial Congress "Arsenic in the Environment" was first organized in Mexico City (As2006) followed by As2008 in Valencia (Spain), As2010 in Tainan (Chinese Taiwan), As2012 in Cairns (Australia), As2014 in Buenos Aires (Argentina) and As2016 in Stockholm (Sweden). The 7th International Congress As2018 was held July 1-6, 2018, in Beijing, P. R. China and was entitled Environmental Arsenic in a Changing World. The Congress addressed the broader context of arsenic research aligned on the following themes: Theme 1: Arsenic Behaviour in Changing Environmental Media Theme 2: Arsenic in a Changing Agricultural Ecosystem Theme 3: Health Impacts of Environmental Arsenic Theme 4: Technologies for Arsenic Immobilization and Clean Water Blueprints Theme 5: Sustainable Mitigation and Management Arsenic in drinking water (mainly groundwater) has emerged as an issue of global health concern. During last decade, the presence of arsenic in rice, possibly also other food of plant origins, has attained increasing attention. This is particularly true in the Asian countries, where the use of high arsenic groundwater as source of irrigation water and drinking water has been flagged as severe health concern. This has been accentuated by elevating arsenic concentrations in deep groundwater recharged from shallow high arsenic groundwater, which may have further detrimental effects on public health. Notably, China has been in the forefront of research on arsenic biogeochemical cycling, health effects of arsenic, technologies for arsenic removal, and sustainable mitigation measures. The Congress has attracted professionals involved in different segments of interdisciplinary research on arsenic in an open forum, and strengthened relations between academia, research institutions, government and non-governmental agencies, industries, and civil society organizations to share an optimal ambience for exchange of knowledge.

The Congress "Arsenic in the Environment" offers an international, multi- and interdisciplinary discussion platform for research aimed towards a holistic solution to the problem posed by the environmental toxin arsenic, with considerable societal impact. The congress has focused on cutting edge and breakthrough research in physical, chemical, toxicological, medical, agricultural and other specific issues on arsenic across a broader environmental realm. The Congress "Arsenic in the Environment" was first organized in Mexico City (As2006) followed by As2008 in Valencia, Spain, As2010 in Tainan, Taiwan and As2012 in Cairns, Australia. The 5th International Congress As2014 was held May 11-16, 2014 in Buenos Aires, Argentina and entitled One Century of the Discovery of Arsenicosis in Latin America (1914-2014). The session topics comprised: Theme 1: Arsenic in environmental matrices (air, water and soil) Theme 2: Arsenic in food Theme 3: Arsenic and health Theme 4: Removal technologies Theme 5: Mitigation management and policy Hosting this Congress in Argentina was especially relevant because 2014, marks 100 years since the discovery of the disease Hidroarsenicismo Cronico Regional Endemico (HACRE) or arsenicosis by Dr. Goyenechea and Dr. Ayerza in the city of Bell Ville, Province of Cordoba, Argentina. Dr. Ayerza was the first person to relate skin disorders to the consumption of groundwater with high concentrations of arsenic. It is estimated that more than 14 million people in Latin America are at risk, of whom nearly 4 million are exposed to drinking water with high arsenic concentration in Argentina, and further in Chile, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru. A vast area of the Chaco-Pampean Plain in Argentina, mostly in the semi-arid regions, is affected not only by arsenic exposure from drinking water but also through other exposure pathways, e.g. through food and other dietary intake. The Congress has gathered professionals involved in different segments of interdisciplinary research in an open forum, and strengthens relations between academia, industry, research laboratories, government agencies and the private sector to share an optimal atmosphere for exchange of knowledge, discoveries and discussions about the problem of arsenic in the environment.

A prevalent and increasingly important issue, arsenic removal continues to be one of the most important areas of water treatment. Conventional treatment plants may employ several methods for removing arsenic from water. Commonly used processes include oxidation, sedimentation, coagulation and filtration, lime treatment, adsorption onto sorptive media, ion exchange, and membrane filtration. However, in the most affected regions, large conventional treatment plants may not be appropriate and factors such as cost and acceptability as well as performance must be considered. This book, published in cooperation with leading experts in this field, provides a thorough analysis of the problems, solutions, and possible alternatives to achieve safe water production on a global scale.

The Congress "Arsenic in the Environment" offers an international, multi- and interdisciplinary discussion platform for research and innovation aimed towards a holistic solution to the problem posed by the environmental toxin arsenic, with considerable societal impact. The congress has focused on cutting edge and breakthrough research in physical, chemical, toxicological, medical, agricultural and other specific issues on arsenic across a broader environmental realm. The Congress "Arsenic in the Environment" was first organized in Mexico City (As2006) followed by As2008 in Valencia, Spain, As2010 in Tainan, Taiwan, As2012 in Cairns, Australia and As2014 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The 6th International Congress As2016 was held June 19-23, 2016 in Stockholm, Sweden and was entitled Arsenic Research and Global Sustainability. The Congress addressed the broader context of arsenic research along the following themes: Theme 1: Arsenic in Environmental Matrices and Interactions (Air, Water, Soil and Biological Matrices) Theme 2: Arsenic in Food Chain Theme 3: Arsenic and Health Theme 4: Clean Water Technology for Control of Arsenic Theme 5: Societal issues, Policy Studies, Mitigation and Management Long term exposure to low-to-medium levels of arsenic via contaminated food and drinking water can have a serious impact on human health and globally, more than 100 million people are at risk. Since the end of the 20th century, arsenic in drinking water (mainly groundwater) has emerged as a global health concern. In the past decade, the presence of arsenic in plant foods - especially rice - has gained increasing attention. In the Nordic countries in particular, the use of water-soluble inorganic arsenic chemicals (e.g. chromated copper arsenate, CCA) as wood preservatives and the mining of sulfidic ores have been flagged as health concern. The issue has been accentuated by discoveries of naturally occurring arsenic in groundwater, primarily in the private wells, in parts of the Fennoscandian Shield and in sedimentary formations, with potentially detrimental effects on public health. Sweden has been at the forefront of research on the health effects of arsenic, technological solutions for arsenic removal, and sustainable mitigation measures for developing countries. Hosting this Congress in Sweden was also relevant because historically Sweden has been one of the leading producer of As2O3 and its emission from the smelting industries in northern Sweden and has successfully implemented actions to reduce the industrial emissions of arsenic as well as minimizing the use of materials and products containing arsenic in since 1977. The Congress has gathered professionals involved in different segments of interdisciplinary research in an open forum, and strengthened relations between academia, industry, research laboratories, government agencies and the private sector to share an optimal atmosphere for exchange of knowledge, discoveries and discussions about the problem of arsenic in the environment and catalyze the knowledge generation and innovations at a policy context to achieve the goals for post 2015 Sustainable Development.

The Congress "Arsenic in the Environment" offers an international, multi- and interdisciplinary discussion platform for research aimed towards a holistic solution to the problem posed by the environmental toxin arsenic, with considerable societal impact. The congress has focused on cutting edge and breakthrough research in physical, chemical, toxicological, medical, agricultural and other specific issues on arsenic across a broader environmental realm. The Congress "Arsenic in the Environment" was first organized in Mexico City (As2006) followed by As2008 in Valencia, Spain, As2010 in Tainan, Taiwan and As2012 in Cairns, Australia. The 5th International Congress As2014 was held May 11-16, 2014 in Buenos Aires, Argentina and entitled One Century of the Discovery of Arsenicosis in Latin America (1914-2014). The session topics comprised: Theme 1: Arsenic in environmental matrices (air, water and soil) Theme 2: Arsenic in food Theme 3: Arsenic and health Theme 4: Removal technologies Theme 5: Mitigation management and policy Hosting this Congress in Argentina was especially relevant because 2014, marks 100 years since the discovery of the disease Hidroarsenicismo Cronico Regional Endemico (HACRE) or arsenicosis by Dr. Goyenechea and Dr. Ayerza in the city of Bell Ville, Province of Cordoba, Argentina. Dr. Ayerza was the first person to relate skin disorders to the consumption of groundwater with high concentrations of arsenic. It is estimated that more than 14 million people in Latin America are at risk, of whom nearly 4 million are exposed to drinking water with high arsenic concentration in Argentina, and further in Chile, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru. A vast area of the Chaco-Pampean Plain in Argentina, mostly in the semi-arid regions, is affected not only by arsenic exposure from drinking water but also through other exposure pathways, e.g. through food and other dietary intake. The Congress has gathered professionals involved in different segments of interdisciplinary research in an open forum, and strengthens relations between academia, industry, research laboratories, government agencies and the private sector to share an optimal atmosphere for exchange of knowledge, discoveries and discussions about the problem of arsenic in the environment.

Groundwater resources naturally contain rather high levels of arsenic in many parts of the world. During the last two decades, the As-containing groundwater in South-East Asia has received much attention. However, the situation seems to be equally important in Latin America, where the number of studies is still relatively low, and the extent and severity of As-exposure in the populations is only marginally evaluated. Following this lack, the book aims to improve the knowledge and understanding on the occurrence and genesis of As-rich groundwaters in Latin America. It deals with constraints on the mobility of As in groundwater, As-uptake from soil and water by plants, As-propagation through the food chain, human health impacts, and As-removal technologies. Case studies are presented from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, and other Latin American countries, and are backed up by experiences from other world regions. is designed to: create interest within the Latin American countries affected by the presence of arseniferous aquifers, address the international scientific community, increase awareness among administrators, policy makers and company executives, and improve the international cooperation on that topic.

Coastal areas face increasing pressures from land use change, developmental activities, shoreline erosion, biodiversity losses and natural calamities. This volume addresses these issues facilitating the integrated analysis of the sustainability of coastal zones. The contributors have tried to focus their respective works on the problems that need urgent attention relevant to present day issues. Coastal Zone Management and its sustainability strategy should safeguard ecological security of the coastal areas, avoid pollution as well as exploitation of living and non living aquatic resources, protecting also the agrarian community and avian population and other floral and faunal breeding grounds. Articles have been selected on the basis of sound scientific findings hoping that it will help in developing meaningful regulations for future sustainable coastal management zone.

The Congress "Arsenic in the Environment" offers an international, multi- and interdisciplinary discussion platform for research and innovation aimed towards a holistic solution to the problem posed by the environmental toxin arsenic, with significant societal impact. The Congress has focused on cutting edge and breakthrough research in physical, chemical, toxicological, medical, agricultural and other specific issues on arsenic across a broader environmental realm. The Biennial Congress "Arsenic in the Environment" was first organized in Mexico City (As2006) followed by As2008 in Valencia (Spain), As2010 in Tainan (Chinese Taiwan), As2012 in Cairns (Australia), As2014 in Buenos Aires (Argentina) and As2016 in Stockholm (Sweden). The 7th International Congress As2018 was held July 1-6, 2018, in Beijing, P. R. China and was entitled Environmental Arsenic in a Changing World. The Congress addressed the broader context of arsenic research aligned on the following themes: Theme 1: Arsenic Behaviour in Changing Environmental Media Theme 2: Arsenic in a Changing Agricultural Ecosystem Theme 3: Health Impacts of Environmental Arsenic Theme 4: Technologies for Arsenic Immobilization and Clean Water Blueprints Theme 5: Sustainable Mitigation and Management Arsenic in drinking water (mainly groundwater) has emerged as an issue of global health concern. During last decade, the presence of arsenic in rice, possibly also other food of plant origins, has attained increasing attention. This is particularly true in the Asian countries, where the use of high arsenic groundwater as source of irrigation water and drinking water has been flagged as severe health concern. This has been accentuated by elevating arsenic concentrations in deep groundwater recharged from shallow high arsenic groundwater, which may have further detrimental effects on public health. Notably, China has been in the forefront of research on arsenic biogeochemical cycling, health effects of arsenic, technologies for arsenic removal, and sustainable mitigation measures. The Congress has attracted professionals involved in different segments of interdisciplinary research on arsenic in an open forum, and strengthened relations between academia, research institutions, government and non-governmental agencies, industries, and civil society organizations to share an optimal ambience for exchange of knowledge.

Water is an important natural resource and a key component of our environment. The quality of water has been deteriorated as a result of the rapid population growth, unplanned urbanization and environmental pollution caused by industrialization. In addition to these, the global warming and climate change have begun to threaten the water resources all over the globe. At present, the decrease in water resources has already reached critical dimensions. Water used for irrigation, as well as for domestic and industrial purposes, is negatively affecting the quality of water and placing great demands on the quality of water resources, the capacity of which is already limited. Therefore, problems pertaining to water consumption need to be solved on a global scale. Arsenic contamination of groundwater is prevalent throughout the globe and is of increasing concern, necessitating the need for effective treatment to provide safe drinking water to communities. Arsenic removal is one of the most important areas of water treatment. Conventional treatment plants may employ several methods for removing arsenic from water. Commonly used processes include oxidation, and sedimentation, coagulation and filtration, lime treatment, adsorption onto sorptive media, ion exchange, and membrane filtration. However, in the most affected regions large conventional treatment plants may not be appropriate and factors as cost and acceptability as well as performance must be considered.
This book, published in cooperation with leading experts in this field, will provide a thorough analysis of the problems, solutions and possible alternatives to achieve a safe water production on a global scale.

This volume presents the recent developments in the field of arsenic in soil and groundwater. Arranged into nine sections, the text emphasizes the global occurrences of arsenic in the environment, particularly on its source, pathways, behavior, and effects it has on soils, plants, water, animals, and humans. It also covers the diverse issues of arsenic in the mining environment, arsenic emanating from hydrothermal springs, and the geochemical modeling of arsenic adsorption to oxide surfaces. Finally, the text includes different cost effective removal mechanisms of arsenic from drinking water using natural red earth, solar oxidation, and arsenic oxidation by ferrrate.
Written in simple English, and few technical terms, the book is designed to create interest within the countries with occurrences of arsenic in drinking water with
-an update the current status of knowledge on the dynamics of natural arsenic from the aquifers through groundwater to food chain and efficient techniques for arsenic removal.
-serve as a standard text book for graduate, postgraduate students and researchers in the field of Environmental Sciences and Hydrogeochemistry as well as researchers, environmental scientists and chemists, toxicologists, medical scientists and even for general public seeking an in-depth view of arsenic which had been classed as a carcinogen.
-bring awareness, among administrators, policy makers and company executives, on the problem and to improve the international cooperation

The hydrogeological aspect of groundwater science is universal and applied in nature to have sustainable water resource development with social, economic, ecological, cultural, and aesthetic background. Though 99% of the world's fresh available water is groundwater, the majority of financial resources are directed to surface water found in rivers and lakes. This serious imbalance requires urgent reassessment. This volume addresses the issue with the aim to facilitate the joint analysis of groundwater management studies and problems faced by scientist, engineers, managers, and other scholars from natural and applied sciences. Significant financial support is required for basic groundwater research if sustainable development is to be a realistic goal. As a fresh water resource, groundwater has major advantages over surface water. The authors have tried to focus their work on the most relevant topics and have paid much attention to questions related to management of aquifers, groundwater pollution, long-term problems and the key issues in developing countries, where the majority of the world's population lives. We (editors) have arranged the information in a systematic and scientific manner to make the concept of groundwater management and sustainability widely understandable. The book provides a platform to bring together earth scientists, professionals from chemical and engineering science disciplines, public health professionals, and social scientists involved with the management and development of groundwater resources. The book is expected to reflect the current understanding of all the issues related to the management of groundwater resources and their sustainable use.

The congress "Arsenic in the Environment" offers an international, multi- and interdisciplinary discussion platform for arsenic research aimed at short-term solutions of problems with considerable social impact, rather than only focusing on cutting edge and breakthrough research in physical, chemical, toxicological, medical and other specific issues on arsenic on a broader environmental realm. The congress "Arsenic in the Environment" was first organized in Mexico City (As 2006 ) followed by As 2008 in Valencia, Spain. The Third International Congress As 2010 was held in Tainan, Taiwan from May 17-21, 2010 entitled: "Arsenic in Geosphere and Human Diseases". The session topics comprised: 1. Geology + hydrogeology of arsenic; 2. Ecological effects: Arsenic in soils, plants and food chain; 3. Marine + terrestrial biota; 4. Health effects on humans: Epidemiology + biomarkers; 5. Toxicological effects; 6. Assessment and remediation; 7. Analytical methods. Hosting this congress in Taiwan was especially relevant, because the endemic Blackfoot Disease, related to the arsenic uptake from drinking water supplied by artesian wells, was discovered here half a century ago. Since then Taiwan has become an important region specializing in arsenic research. This volume presents the extended abstracts of the congress and will give the latest state of the art knowledge based on current research performed by the global scientific community.

The congress "Arsenic in the Environment" offers an international, multi- and interdisciplinary discussion platform for arsenic research aimed at practical solutions of problems with considerable social impact, as well as focusing on cutting edge and breakthrough research in physical, chemical, toxicological, medical and other specific issues on arsenic on a broader environmental realm. The congress "Arsenic in the Environment" was first organized in Mexico City (As 2006) followed by As 2008 in Valencia, Spain and As 2010 in Tainan, Taiwan. The 4th International Congress As 2012 was held in Cairns, Australia from July 22-27, 2012 entitled Understanding the Geological and Medical Interface of Arsenic. The session topics comprised: 1. Geology and hydrogeology of arsenic; 2. Medical and health issues of arsenic; 3. Remediation and policy; 4. Analytical methods for arsenic; and 5. Special topics on "Risk assessment of arsenic from mining", "Geomicrobiology of arsenic", "Geothermal arsenic", "Rice arsenic and health perspectives", "Sustainable mitigation of arsenic: from field trials to policy implications", and "Biogeochemical processes of high arsenic groundwater in inland basins" Hosting this congress in Australia was welcome and valued by the local scientific communities. Australia is a mineral rich country where mining has generated significant economic benefit to its people. Unfortunately historical mining for base metals, gold and arsenic had led to environmental contamination of arsenic. Locally produced arsenical compounds were widely used as pesticides and in timber preservation. It is known that there are several thousands of cattle- and sheep-dip sites contaminated with arsenic in Australia. However, commonly observed symptoms of chronic arsenic poisonings such as those found in endemic-blackfoot areas are seemingly absent from these types of environmental contamination due to good quality of potable water supply. Does this fall in the classic argument of "the dose makes the poison"? This congress theme of "understanding the geological and medical interface of arsenic" will advance our knowledge in minimising the risk posted by this so-called number one prioritised contaminant - arsenic.