Given below are two statements : Statement I: The states of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Assam are reported to be most affected by arsenic contamination Statement II: Long-term exposure to arsenic in drinking water is causally related to increased risks of cancer in the skin, lungs, bladder, and kidney In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

Arsenic , an element of the earth’s crust with an abundance of 1.8 ppm by weight, combines with oxygen, chlorine, and sulfur to form inorganic arsenic compounds. Arsenic and its compounds are widely used in agriculture, livestock feed, medicine, electronics, metallurgy, chemical warfare agents, etc. Arsenic is of interest in terms of environmental issues and health impacts. Rock-water interactions in aquifer systems are the major cause of the release of arsenic and cause deterioration in groundwater quality. Key Points The natural contamination of As in groundwater has been reported worldwide, and the majority of these belong to South Asian and South American regions. The alluvial tracts of the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers are the wealthiest groundwater province in the country. Most of the extraction occurs along the Indo-Gangetic basin in Northern and Northwestern India, which has resulted in significant drawdown and water table decline in many locations. In India, it is reported that a population of over 50 million is currently at risk from groundwater arsenic contamination. The Ganga River basin covers nearly 26% of India’s landmass and is home to a population of over 500 million. Presently, the Ganga is one of the world’s most polluted rivers, containing a number of toxins including chromium, arsenic, cadmium, lead, copper, and mercury. High arsenic (>10 ppb) groundwater has been reported in shallow aquifers from 10 states in India, however, the deeper aquifers of India (>100 m) are free from arsenic. Arsenic contamination in groundwater was first reported from the Chandigarh region of north India, and the second case was reported in the lower Gangetic plain of West Bengal. Recent studies reveal that in India, 20 states (West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Panjab, Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Orrisa, Nagaland, Tripura, Manipur, Chhattisgarh) and 4 Union territories (Delhi, Daman, and Diu, Puducherry, Jammu, and Kashmir) are affected now. Long-term exposure to arsenic in drinking water can cause cancer in the skin, lungs, bladder, and kidney . It can also cause other skin changes such as thickening and pigmentation. The likelihood of effects is related to the level of exposure to arsenic and in areas where drinking water is heavily contaminated. Increased risks of lung and bladder cancer and skin changes have been reported in people ingesting arsenic in drinking water at concentrations of 50 µg/liter, or even lower. Additional Information In India, high arsenic groundwater occurs in two categories: alluvial terrane hard rock terrane. Alluvial aquifers are the main source (90%) of arsenic in India. Hard rock aquifers account for only 10%, which includes states like Karnataka and Chattisgarh. Arsenic is also known as the ‘king of poison’ as it is a highly toxic element ranking number one in the 2001 priority list of hazardous substances and disease registry defined by WHO. Therefore, based on the above facts both statements I and II are correct.