Arsenic

Paper presented to the International Conference on Water tie in Disasters held in Kolkata on 5-6 December 2002

ARSENIC CONTAMINATION OF GROUNDWATER IN WEST BENGAL (INDIA): BUILD-UP IN SOIL-CROP SYSTEMS

S. K. Sanyal1 and S. K. T. Nasar2
1 Department of Agricultural chemistry and Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture Main Campus, Mohanpur, 2 board of directors of Research, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Kalyani-741235, Nadia, West Bengal, India

Abstract
A large part of the Bengal delta basin restrain by the rivers Bhagirathi and Padma is affected by arsenic contamination of groundwater of geogenic theme the exact sequence of geochemical reactions releasing arsenic from the aquifer sediments is still debated. lone(prenominal) less than 10% of the total groundwater accounts for drinking purpose bit more than 90% is used for clothe-irrigational requirements. The present communication deals with the semen of arsenic contamination in groundwater, accumulation of the toxin in soils and crops in the affected belt of West Bengal irrigated with contaminated groundwater, and in carnal tissues and products, and demonstrates the pathways, other than drinking water, through which arsenic may demand access to human, animal and crop systems.



The retention of arsenic by the soil organic fraction in the affected sites has been demonstrated, so also the release potential of As from the resulting organo-As complexes by the competing oxyanions such(prenominal) as phosphate and nitrate. The application of FYM and phosphate was found to live opposing effect on release of native and utilise arsenic in the contaminated soils, with FYM reducing such release, thereby tending to moderate the toxic effect of arsenic in soil-plant system. This agreed well with the findings of a rice pot-culture experiment. Different crop plants raised in a crop cafeteria experiment exhibited change tendencies to accumulate arsenic in different plant part in the following sequence: root>stem>leaf>economic produce. The...If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: Orderessay



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