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Assessment of arsenic content in soil, rice grains and groundwater and associated health risks in human population from Ropar wetland, India, and its vicinity

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Abstract

In the present study, potential health risks posed to human population from Ropar wetland and its vicinity, by consumption of inorganic arsenic (i-As) via arsenic contaminated rice grains and groundwater, were assessed. Total arsenic (t-As) in soil and rice grains were found in the range of 0.06–0.11 mg/kg and 0.03–0.33 mg/kg, respectively, on dry weight basis. Total arsenic in groundwater was in the range of 2.31–15.91 μg/L. i-As was calculated from t-As using relevant conversion factors. Rice plants were found to be arsenic accumulators as bioconcentration factor (BCF) was observed to be >1 in 75% of rice grain samples. Further, correlation analysis revealed that arsenic accumulation in rice grains decreased with increase in the electrical conductivity of soil. One-way ANOVA, cluster analysis and principal component analysis indicated that both geogenic and anthropogenic sources affected t-As in soil and groundwater. Hazard index and total cancer risk estimated for individuals from the study area were above the USEPA limits of 1.00 and 1.00 × 10−6, respectively. Kruskal-Wallis H test indicated that groundwater intake posed significantly higher health risk than rice grain consumption (χ 2(1) = 17.280, p = 0.00003).

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi, India, for providing the financial assistance for this study under the University with Potential for Excellence (UPE) scheme (under the holistic area of Environmental Management), Departmental Research Support-Special Assistance Programme (DRS-SAP) and Centre with Potential for Excellence in Particular Area (CPEPA) scheme. The authors would also like to thank Dr. Jatinder Kaur Katnoria (Asst. Professor, Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India) for her guidance and support throughout the study, especially during As, Mn and Fe estimation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, 143005, India

    Sakshi Sharma & Avinash Kaur Nagpal

  2. Department of Chemistry, Centre for Advanced Studies, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, 143005, India

    Inderpreet Kaur

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  1. Sakshi Sharma
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Correspondence to Avinash Kaur Nagpal.

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Sharma, S., Kaur, I. & Nagpal, A.K. Assessment of arsenic content in soil, rice grains and groundwater and associated health risks in human population from Ropar wetland, India, and its vicinity. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24, 18836–18848 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-9401-y

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