Agricultural Research Management Information System

Home
Research Summary
Search
About Us
- ARMIS
- Brochure
Contact Us
Report
User Request
Data Input
Help
- Operation Manual
  - PDF
  - Video
- Program Area & Commodity
We have reached 37600 number of research entries at this moment.

- Logout

Research Detail

Home
Research
Detail

Arsenic Contamination of Different Food Samples from Pabna District and Its Implication for Human Health

M. F. Imtiaz
Department of Pharmacy, North South University, Plot -15, Block- B, Bashundhara R/A, Dhaka.

M. A. Awal
Department of Pharmacology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh

A. K. Bepari
Department of Pharmacy, North South University, Plot -15, Block- B, Bashundhara R/A, Dhaka.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

A study was conducted to determine the extent of arsenic (As) contamination in 8 different types of vegetables (2 leafy, 3 fruity and 3 root & tuber), 5 types of fish, 15 rice and 15 water samples of three arsenic contaminated villages (Char Ruppur, Char Mirkamari and Lakshmikunda) of Ishwardi Upzila in Pabna district. Arsenic concentration was detected by Hydride Generation Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (HG-AAS). Wide variations in arsenic concentration in different food samples were observed. The lowest arsenic concentration in vegetables was found in tomato and the highest concentration in taro. The arsenic content of different vegetables were: taro (0.674 μg g^-1), onion (0.56 μg g^-1), bean (0.552 μg g^-1), potato (0.46 μg g^-1), radish (0.438 μg g^-1), chilli (0.418 μg g^-1), cabbage (0.366 μg g^-1) and tomato (0.298 μg g^-1). The mean concentration of As in leafy vegetables (0.52 μg g^-1) was significantly higher compared to those found in fruity (0.422 μg g^-1) and root & tuber vegetables (0.486 μg g^-1). The high As concentration in vegetables might be due to high levels of As (415.34 μg/L) in water irrigating the vegetable crops. Average As concentration in rice was found to be 0.454 μg g^-1 in fish samples was 0.292 μg g^-1. Only by consuming rice, water, vegetables and fish a person consumes an amount of arsenic exceeding the potential maximum tolerable daily intake (PMTDI) value which is 140 μg per day for an adult (70 kg).

Keywords: Arsenic, HG-AAS, Food samples, Vegetables, PMTDI

Location: Char Ruppur, Char mirkamari and Lakshmikunda village of Ishwardi Upzila in Pabna district

Start Date: 00-01-2009

End Date:

Program Area: Food Safety and Security

Commodity: Arsenic

Objectives:

To determine the level of arsenic concentration in vegetables and other food categories in three selected areas of Ishwardi upazilla, Pabna district.
To estimate quantitatively the dietary arsenic exposure in one of the arsenic contaminated areas of Bangladesh.

Methodology:

Fresh samples of some common vegetables were collected in January 2009. Eight different vegetables of the following food groups were studied: leafy vegetables (Kachu, cabbage,), fruity vegetables (tomato, bean, chilli), root and tuber vegetables (potato, radish, onion).Rice from local market was collected and two types of fish was also collected. Vegetables from local market were selected using a random sampling procedure. They were collected by hand using vinyl gloves, packed into zipper bags and brought to the laboratory. The cleaning of samples was performed by shaking and in the case of potatoes, taro, and cabbage by means of a dry brush.The edible portions of vegetables were washed three times with distilled water and finally rinsed with de ionised water and dried in an oven at 65⁰C, ground using a grinder and used for analysis. The rice samples were collected by random sampling procedure. After collection they were cleaned with distilled water and finally rinsed with deionized water before oven drying and also dried for 48h at 65⁰C and then ground to powder, used for analysis. Fish samples were cleaned with distilled water and flesh part was cut into small pieces before digestion. The digestion tubes were cleaned with detergent, then immersed in 1% hydrochloric acid (HCl) overnight at room temperature. In the following day it was first washed with tap water and finally washed with de ionized water and dried in a digital electric oven (Memmert,) at 150-200 ⁰C until drying. After digestion, the samples were diluted individually by adding deionized water separately in 25 ml calibrated volumetric flask. After dilution, each sample was filtered individually with filter paper (Whatman 42) into correspondingly marked sterile 30 ml screw capped sterile plastic vials and preserved at 4°C in refrigerator until tested for arsenic. Arsenic was detected in the ADM Lab, Department of Pharmacology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh with Hydride Generation Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (HG-AAS; PG-990, PG Instruments Ltd. UK). Arsenic was detected by forming AsH₃ at below pH 1.0 after the reaction of As with a solution of sodium borohydride (NaBH₄), sodium hydroxide (NaOH, M=40,000 g/mol,) and 10% HCl. In this test, standard was maintained as AsV ranging from 0 to12.5 μg/L.

Source of Information: J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 2(2): 63 - 68, 2009 ISSN 1999-7361

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Contamination by arsenic of the ground water in parts of the country and its fall out has proved to be a deadly health hazard threatening the lives of millions of people. The scenario of arsenic contamination in Pabna district is worse than that of other affected parts of the country. All most all the upazila in the district are within the grip of arsenicosis problem.

Knowledge Management: Journal