The study was designed by the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health (NCEPH) of Australian National University to assess the effectiveness of interventions that were currently in place in Bangladesh. The specific objectives of the surveys were to ascertain:

• whether the intervention reduced internal arsenic dose (arsenic in urine), that is, whether the intervention was effective
• whether the intervention was socially and economically acceptable to the local community 
• the rate of compliance with the intervention
• whether the intervention altered occurrence of arsenic related diseases
• whether there were undesirable effects of the interventions, such as diarrheal diseases in the community or iron overload in three-pitcher filter users

Under this study, Mitra and Associates was assigned with a series of activities including selection of study samples/participants, carrying out a baseline survey, pre-intervention surveys, and post-intervention surveys, collection presentation and transportation of blood, urine, and water samples, collection of longitudinal data on prevalence of diarrhea among children, and compliance surveys. 

The study was commissioned by NCEPH, ANU and funded by Aus-AID.