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Arsenic Accumulation in Food Crops: A Potential Threat in Bengal Delta Plain

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Abstract

The Bengal Delta Plain formed by the sedimentation of three main rivers, Ganga, Brahmaputra and Meghna along with its several tributaries and distributaries have been found to contain significant amounts of arsenic in its groundwater and sediments due to hydrogeochemical, geological and biological factors which enhance the mobilisation of arsenic. India and Bangladesh have been severely affected by occurrences of vast number of arsenic toxicity- related diseases and deaths. The problem has gained a serious magnitude due to uptake, translocation and biomagnifications of arsenic in several food crops and vegetables. A number of associated factors including the type of plants affects the bioavailability, uptake and translocation of arsenic in crops, which has been discussed in the present communication. The present paper reviews the status of arsenic contamination, mobilisation and uptake in crops of India, Bangladesh specifically along with other arsenic- affected crops worldwide and related health impacts due to the consumption of arsenic laden water and food.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi for funding a research project under SERB Young Scientist scheme for studies on bioavailability, uptake and translocation of arsenic in Sahibganj areas of Jharkhand, India. The authors are also thankful to Dr. J.P. Maity (National Chung Cheng University, Taiwan) and Dr. Atanu Bhattacharya (Central University of Gujarat, India) for editing the manuscript.

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  1. Environmental Science and Engineering Group, Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi, Jharkhand , 835215, India

    Sukalyan Chakraborty, Md. Osaid Alam, Tanushree Bhattacharya & Yogendra Nath Singh

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  1. Sukalyan Chakraborty
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  2. Md. Osaid Alam
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  3. Tanushree Bhattacharya
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  4. Yogendra Nath Singh
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Correspondence to Sukalyan Chakraborty.

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Chakraborty, S., Alam, M.O., Bhattacharya, T. et al. Arsenic Accumulation in Food Crops: A Potential Threat in Bengal Delta Plain. Water Qual Expo Health 6, 233–246 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-014-0122-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-014-0122-x

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