Darbhanga, Aug. 9: Arsenic contamination of potable drinking water has been the bane of the residents of the state. Help, however, could be at hand.

Dr Mohan Mishra has worked for years on methods to remove arsenic and other contamination from drinking water and has come up with an efficient and cost-effective process to purify it.

Mishra told The Telegraph: “The method I use for purification of arsenic-contaminated water was prevalent in 500BC.”

To prove its efficiency, he posted the findings of his research on a US-based website, Research Gate, where scientists discuss over articles and methods of experiment. He got an approval from them on his method of purification of water through which impurities like arsenic could be removed.

Mishra added: “If the government or any other agency comes forward to adopt his method, I will welcome it. My method of water purification could be used at a macro-level and benefit people from the poorer sections of the society. It could also be utilised in households because there is hardly any expense associated with it.”

Mishra said he had collected around 30 water samples from different places of two villages — Bairampur and Parari — under Benipur subdivision of the district. He had conducted tests on 16 water samples of which two were free from arsenic and one had other impurities, including iron.

Remaining 12 water samples had arsenic. Out of these, two samples had acceptable level of arsenic, which is 0.1mg in a litre of water according to international standards in developed countries. In most developing countries, the acceptable limit is 0.5mg per litre.

Of the 10 samples that contained arsenic, he purified them at almost no cost.