Effect of arsenic-contaminated irrigation water on agricultural land soil and plants in West Bengal, India

Total arsenic withdrawn by the four shallow tubewells, used for agricultural irrigation in the arsenic-affected areas of Murshidabad district per year is 6.79 kg (mean: 1.79 kg, range: 0.56–3.53 kg) and the mean arsenic deposition on land per year is 5.02 kg ha−1 (range: 2–9.81 kg ha−1). Mean soil arsenic concentrations in surface, root of plants, below ground level (0–30 cm) and all the soils, collected from four agricultural lands are 14.2 mg/kg (range: 9.5–19.4 mg/kg, n = 99), 13.7 mg/kg (range: 7.56–20.7 mg/kg, n = 99), 14.8 mg/kg (range: 8.69–21 mg/kg, n = 102) and 14.2 mg/kg (range: 7.56–21 mg/kg, n = 300) respectively. Higher the arsenic in groundwater, higher the arsenic in agricultural land soil and plants has been observed. Mean arsenic concentrations in root, stem, leaf and all parts of plants are 996 ng/g (range: <0.04–4850 ng/g, n = 99), 297 ng/g (range: <0.04–2900 ng/g, n = 99), 246 ng/g (range: <0.04–1600 ng/g, n = 99) and 513 ng/g (range: <0.04–4850 ng/g, n = 297) respectively. Approximately 3.1–13.1, 0.54–4.08 and 0.36–3.45% of arsenic is taken up by the root, stem and leaf respectively, from the soil.