Arsenic Pollution in Indian Wetlands and its Implications on Stork Health and Survival

Arsenic contamination, a growing environmental concern in South Asia, poses a serious threat to wetland ecosystems and the avifauna dependent on them. India, particularly the eastern Gangetic plains (West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh), faces chronic arsenic pollution in groundwater and surface water, affecting birds specially storks, being dependent on contaminated wetlands for feeding and nesting, and are becoming gradually vulnerable to arsenic bioavailability in aquatic food chains. This review synthesizes current research on arsenic exposure pathways in wetland ecosystems, focusing on its toxicological impact on Indian stork species such as the Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala), Asian Openbill (Anastomus oscitans), and Greater Adjutant (Leptoptilos dubius). Arsenic bio-accumulates in fish, mollusks, and amphibians, the primary food sources of storks, leading to chronic ingestion and toxicity. Sub-lethal effects include oxidative stress, immune-suppression, behavioral abnormalities, and reproductive dysfunction, such as low hatchability, chick deformities, and disrupted nesting patterns. In extreme cases, arsenic exposure has been associated with increased mortality and population decline. The review also highlights the ecological role of storks as bio-indicators of wetland health and the cascading effects of their decline on wetland biodiversity.