London, July 27 - Indian-born academic Bhaskar Sengupta is to lead a top British scientific team to conduct research and training aimed at preventing groundwater arsenic poisoning in eastern India, Queen's University Belfast said Monday.

Sengupta, who teaches environmental engineering at Queen's, led a team of European and Indian scientists who last year developed a low-cost technology to deliver arsenic-free water to affected areas.

Queen's has now been selected to give training to thousands of people who will learn how to use the equipment and improve environmental conditions, the university said.

More than 70 million people in eastern and northeastern India as well as Bangladesh are unknowingly exposed to poisonous arsenic either by drinking water and eating rice every year.

They include farmers who have to use contaminated groundwater for minor irrigation schemes.

It is estimated that for every 100 people in the Bengal delta, at least one person will be near death as a result of arsenic poisoning, while five in 100 will be experiencing other symptoms.

Affected Indian states include West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland and Tripura.