ARSENIC LEVELS IN SOIL, WATER AND RICE IN SOUTHEASTERN REGION OF BANGLADESH

SANDHI, Arifin, Department of Botany, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SE-10691, Sweden, BHATTACHARYA, Prosun, KTH-International Groundwater Arsenic Research Group, Department of Land and Water Resources Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Teknikringen 76, Stockholm, SE-10044, Sweden, AHMED, Bashir, Department of Urban and Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, SE-75007, Sweden, AHMED, Kazi Matin, Department of Geology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh and HOSSAIN, Mohammed, KTH-International Groundwater Arsenic Research Group, Dept of Sustainable Development, Environmental Science and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Teknikringen 76, Stockholm, SE-10044, Sweden, arifin.sandhi@botan.su.se

The presence of high level of arsenic (As) in soil and water is one of the most significant environmental disasters in the world and most affected countries are located in South Asia specifically in the Bengal Delta region. In Bangladesh the source of arsenic in soil is geogenic and dependence on well water for irrigation leads to an increase in the level of arsenic in food stuffs also. This study presents the preliminary overview of As level in soil, water and rice in the Matlab located southeastern region of Bangladesh. During this study, an evaluation of the irrigation water sources, soils and food stuffs are analyzed in the laboratory and questionnaire system for dietary survey has been followed. The level of arsenic in irrigation well water ranged from (6 – 513 µg/L As, n = 10) and correlated with their depth. In contrary compared to irrigation water high level of arsenic (1.85 - 5.02 mg/kg As, n =36) present in agricultural soil. Cultivation on contaminated sediment and application of arsenic contained water, expand arsenic pathway towards food chain. The amount of arsenic in rice significantly depends on the husk of rice grain, those collected from local fields, found (0.01 to 0.15 mg/kg As, n =20) and 0.02 mg/kg of As in with husk and without husk grain respectively. The analysis of As in soil, water and rice was done with help of hydride generation atomic absorption spectrophotometry and field As test kit. Based on the results of the questionnaire survey, inhabitants of Matlab area are exposed to 0.2 to 0.4 mg of As/day and 0.01 to 0.16 mg/kg As through drinking water and rice consumption respectively. It is important to note that the level of As intake through drinking water is higher than the exposure of As due to the consumption of food stuffs in Bangladesh. Llong term future research initiatives are needed for understanding the dynamics of As in the soil-water system and food chain of the community in As affected areas coupled with the execution of various mitigation strategies.

Session No. 178--Booth# 65

T12. Arsenic in Geologic Systems (Posters)

Tuesday, 2 November 2010: 8:00 AM-6:00 PM

Hall D (Colorado Convention Center)

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 42, No. 5, p.436

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