科研之友
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摘要
Arsenic (As), which is present in all living tissues, water, and soil, is considered toxic to humans and animals. Because of the presence of arsenic-contaminated sites throughout the world, there is a renewed interest in studying the status of As in water, soil, and plants. Concentrations of As above the permissible limit have been reported in Lower Ganges Plains (West Bengal in India and Bangladesh). The present investigation aimed to examine the concentration of As in water, soil, and rice plants in the Upper/Trans-Ganges Plains covering Punjab in northwestern India. In total, 200 water samples were collected from different locations in Punjab. Corresponding soil, rice grain, and straw samples were collected from the same locations as the water samples had been collected. In addition to deep tube well water (125 m deep), water samples from shallow hand pumps (50 m deep) and canals were also collected. The samples were analyzed for total As concentration using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer equipped with a hydride generating system (AAS-HG). The concentration of As in tube well water samples varied from 5.33 to 17.27 g As L-1, with about 40% samples having As concentrations greater than the permissible limit (10 g As L-1). None of the hand pump and canal water samples had As concentrations greater than permissible limits. The As concentration of surface soils varied from 1.09 to 2.48 mg As kg-1. There was no trend in the distribution of As with depth of soil. The concentration of As in rice straw varied from 4.05 to 15.06 g As kg-1 and that of grain from 1.48 to 6.87 g As kg-1. The concentration of As was lower in edible grain than in inedible straw. There was a positive and significant correlation between As concentration in tube well water and As concentration in surface soils. The buildup of As in soils was directly related to the As concentration of tube well waters. There was a significant correlation between As in water and As in plants. However, a nonsignificant correlation existed between As in soil and As in plants. This indicates that plants absorbed more As from irrigation water than that from soil. This also suggests that irrigation with such waters over a longer period of time may have detrimental effects on soil and on plants, animals, and humans. There is thus a need to continuously monitor the As concentration in undergroundwater.
- 出版日期2010
