Elevated arsenic and manganese in groundwaters of Murshidabad, West Bengal, India.

High levels of geogenic arsenic (As) and manganese (Mn) in drinking water has led to widespread health problems for the population of West Bengal, India. Here we delineate the extent of occurrences of As and Mn in Murshidabad, where the contaminated aquifers occur at shallow depths between 35 and 40m and where access to safe drinking water is a critical issue for the local population.