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Without a Trace

It is the single worst case of mass poisoning in human history. Help us to take action.

Without a Trace

It is the single worst case of mass poisoning in human history. Help us to take action.

1 Campaign |

London, United Kingdom

$2,592 USD $2,592 USD 45 backers

3% of $71,200 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal

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Shahana is 27. She lives in a small village in South-West Bangladesh. Two years ago she began to notice black spots on her palms.

Like many others in her community, doctors diagnosed her with arsenicosis, a skin disease which typically occurs when people have frequent contact with arsenic-contaminated water. Very often it is a precursor to skin cancer.

Shahana had been drinking water from a contaminated well for more than 10 years.

Up to half the population of Bangladesh has been exposed to arsenic contamination through its drinking water.

The World Health Organisation has called it:

"The single worst case of mass poisoning in human history".

Many thousands - perhaps millions - are being slowly affected by arsenic poisoning, or arsenicosis, which causes cancers, kidney and heart failures, and long-term lung problems.

1 in 5 current deaths in Bangladesh are as a result of arsenicosis.

We can stop this

Help us to raise enough money to protect 10 villages in South-West Bangladesh from arsenic-contaminated water.

Our campaign goal is £55,000. But whatever we raise, we will be able to protect people in direct, practical ways from arsenic contamination.

TAKE PART IN OUR CAMPAIGN and participate in a small but achievable step to deal with a vast and deadly problem.

Why is this happening?

The tube-wells were constructed in the 1970s and 80s by aid agencies who were acting to eliminate the many diseases, such as cholera, typhoid, and TB, which were spread by the use of untreated surface water. In this, they were largely successful.

What was not understood at the time was the risk of groundwater contamination by arsenic, which occurs naturally within the earth in high levels throughout the Ganges Delta.

About 1 in 5 of the tube-wells constructed have been found to be contaminated by arsenic. In the early 1990s, the first signs of arsenic poisoning appeared among people using the tube-wells.

- Watch Prof. Andrew Meharg, a world expert on arsenic contamination, talk about the problem

- Read the WHO report and about the more recent Lancet report

- More questions? Read our Frequently Asked Questions about arsenic contamination in Bangladesh and this campaign.

The SONO Arsenic Filter

There is currently no complete or long-term solution to the problem - but there are effective solutions which can be implemented at a local level.

The SONO Arsenic Filter is being used by thousands of families and communities in Bangladesh, and has been proven to eliminate arsenic contamination and to provide safe drinking and cooking water.

The Filter - which consists of two buckets containing porous iron, charcoal, sand and bits of brick - filters nearly all of the arsenic from well water.

The SONO Arsenic Filter was invented in 2006 by Abul Hussam, a Bangladeshi who is chemistry professor at George Mason University (GMU) in Fairfax, Virginia. Hussam developed his filter after years of testing hundreds of prototypes. The Filter was awarded the prestigious Grainger Challenge Prize for Sustainability by the US National Academy of Engineering.

What's the point of this crowdfunding campaign?

The scale of the problem of arsenic contamination is vast. It is also a problem which is largely ignored. And while it is ignored, huge numbers of people are suffering slow, painful and unnecessary deaths - deaths which relatively simple, low-cost interventions could prevent.

The objectives of this campaign are:

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Choose your Perk

Campaign supporter

$6 USD

£5 GBP

A contribution of £5/$7.50 would show your support for our campaign, and help to pay for an arsenic filter, which can protect a whole family. You will receive regular email updates on work to protect communities from arsenic contamination.

2 claimed

Protect a life

$13 USD

£10 GBP

Your contribution will help to protect one person from the risk of arsenic contamination for at least 5 years. For a £10/$15 contribution, you will receive regular email updates on progress to tackle the problem in the villages.

6 claimed

2 years' protection

$26 USD

£20 GBP

£20/$30 will pay to protect a family from arsenic contamination for 2 years. For a £20/$30 contribution, you will receive: - regular email updates on progress to tackle the problem - an entry on the Roll of Honour on Impact's website.

5 claimed

Protect a whole family

$71 USD

£55 GBP

A contribution of £55/$85 will pay for a filter to protect an entire family from arsenic poisoning for at least 5 years. You will make a life-changing gift to that family. For a £55/$ 85 contribution, you will receive: - regular email updates on how your contribution is changing lives - a photo of the family which receives the filter you have donated,

1 claimed

Safe water for 10 or more

$142 USD

£110 GBP

A contribution of £110/$170 will protect around 10 people from arsenicosis and will have a huge effect on their life chances. For a £110/$170 contribution, you will receive: - all the perks above, plus - a letter of thanks from IMPACT Bangladesh - additional photos of the village you have helped.

3 claimed

Protect a whole community

$712 USD

£550 GBP

A contribution of £500/$850 will help to protect an entire community from arsenic poisoning, and will almost certainly save many lives that would otherwise have been blighted by arsenicosis. For a contribution of £550/$850, you will receive: - all of the above, plus - a special report on the families who you have helped.

0 claimed

Safe water for a whole village

$7,120 USD

£5,500 GBP

A contribution of £5,500/$8,500 would make an immense difference to the life of an entire village. Many people would lead productive lives who otherwise will suffer the effects of arsenic poisoning. For a contribution of £5,500/$8,500, you will receive: - all of the above, plus - an invitation to visit the village which you have helped, and to see IMPACT Bangladesh's other work in preventing disability (regrettably, we must ask you to travel at your own cost).

0 claimed

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