Translocation of arsenic contents in vegetables from growing media of contaminated areas

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the translocation of arsenic (As) by different vegetables grown in agricultural soil irrigated for long period with tube well water as test vegetable samples and compared those vegetables of same species grown in agricultural soil irrigated with fresh canal water marked as control vegetable samples. Moreover, the total and ethylene-diamine-tetra acetic acid (EDTA) extractable contents of As in soil irrigated by tube well and canal water were determined and correlate with total concentrations of As in edible parts of vegetables. Statistically significant correlations were obtained between the total and EDTA extractable fractions of As in soil. High level of total and EDTA extractable As were found in tested vegetable samples as compared to controlled vegetable samples. This investigation highlights the increased danger of growing vegetables in the agricultural land continuously irrigated by As contaminated water. © 2011 Elsevier Inc.