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Arsenic in the Water and agricultural crop production

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Environmental Science and Pollution Research (2022) 29:51354–51366
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-20880-0
REVIEW ARTICLE
Arsenic in the water and agricultural crop production system:
Bangladesh perspectives
Arifin Sandhi1
· Changxun Yu1 · Md Marufur Rahman4 · Md. Nurul Amin2,3
Received: 23 August 2021 / Accepted: 12 May 2022 / Published online: 26 May 2022
© The Author(s) 2022
Abstract
The presence of high levels of carcinogenic metalloid arsenic (As) in the groundwater system of Bangladesh has been
considered as one of the major environmental disasters in this region. Many parts of Bangladesh have extensively reported
the presence of high levels of arsenic in the groundwater due to both geological and anthropogenic activities. In this paper,
we reviewed the available literature and scientific information regarding arsenic pollution in Bangladesh, including arsenic
chemistry and occurrences. Along with using As-rich groundwater as a drinking-water source, the agricultural activities
and especially irrigation have greatly depended on the groundwater resources in this region due to high water demands
for ensuring food security. A number of investigations in Bangladesh have shown that high arsenic content in both soil
and groundwater may result in high levels of arsenic accumulation in different plants, including cereals and vegetables.
This review provides information regarding arsenic accumulation in major rice varieties, soil-groundwater-rice arsenic
interaction, and past arsenic policies and plans, as well as previously implemented arsenic mitigation options for both
drinking and irrigation water systems in Bangladesh. In conclusion, this review highlights the importance and necessity for
more in-depth studies as well as more effective arsenic mitigation action plans to reduce arsenic incorporation in the food
chain of Bangladesh.
Keywords Arsenic · Health · Water · Irrigation · Arsenic accumulation · Mitigation policies · Arsenic removal · Food chain
Introduction
Arsenic (As), the 20th most abundant naturally occurring element in the earth’s crust (Mandal and Suzuki 2002), occurs
ubiquitously in the environment and is highly toxic. Elevated
levels of As in soils, waters, and plants pose a long-term
negative effect on the ecosystem. Long-term exposure to As
Responsible Editor: Philippe Garrigues
* Arifin Sandhi
arifin.sandhi@lnu.se; arifin.sandhi@gmail.com
1
Department of Biology and Environmental Science,
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Linnaeus University,
391 82 Kalmar, Sweden
2
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington State
University, Pullman, WA 99164‑6420, USA
3
Breeder Seed Production Centre, Bangladesh Agricultural
Research Institute, Debiganj, Panchagarh‑5020, Bangladesh
4
Bangladesh Institute of Research and Training On Applied
Nutrition, Rangpur Regional Station, Pirgonj‑5470, Rangpur,
Bangladesh
13
could cause a number of chronic diseases, including but not
limited to skin lesions, skin cancer, kidney, lung, bladder,
hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and DNA methylation
(Rahman et al 2015; Smith et al. 2000; Saha and Rahman
2020; Ljung et al. 2011). Strongly elevated levels of arsenic
(< 0.5– > 4600 µg/L) have been found in the groundwater
systems in several regions of Bangladesh and are considered
to be one of the major environmental disasters of this SouthEast Asia region (Huq et al. 2020; Rahman et al. 2019b; Sandhi et al. 2017; Smith et al. 2000). Arsenic poisoning (via
e.g., drinking water) poses significant public health concerns
for Bangladesh and is estimated to affect about 35–77 million inhabitants throughout the country (Rahman et al. 2018;
Smith et al. 2000). Along with As-rich groundwater, another
major arsenic exposure pathway is the consumption of rice
grains that have been irrigated regularly with As-rich groundwater (Rahman et al.2019a; Williams et al. 2006). Both geogenic processes and anthropogenic activities are responsible
for the arsenic that originates in the environment system
(Saha and Rahman 2020; Sandhi et al. 2018). The arsenic
content found in different food grains and vegetables is
Environmental Science and Pollution Research (2022) 29:51354–51366
gathering attention as a source for potential global health risk
due to the possibility of people in arsenic non-contaminated
regions being exposed to arsenic via the global food trade
(Rahman et al. 2018). In this review, we have assessed the
existing articles dealing with arsenic occurrence, distribution,
and accumulation exclusively related to- and investigated in
Bangladesh. Therefore, the main purpose of this review is
to coalesce the information and literature with special focus
on the problem of arsenic contamination in the soil–water
system and its content in the major food crops in Bangladesh.
Arsenic chemistry in soil and groundwater
system
Arsenic concentration in terrestrial soils typically varies
from 1.5 to 3 mg/kg, depending on the origin of the soil
(Heikens et al. 2007; Mandal and Suzuki 2002). Arsenic
has four oxidationon states, − 3, 0, + 3, and + 5, with the
last two being most common in the surface environment.
Redox potential and pH are the two key factors regulating
As speciation in the soil medium. In general, arsenate
­(As5+) is the major species in the aerobic or oxygenated
soil, whereas arsenite ­(As3+) prevails in the anaerobic or
submerged soil (Zhao et al. 2010). Arsenite and arsenate
commonly hydrate as arsenious acid and arsenic acid, with
different charges depending on the solution’s pH (Lizama
et al. 2011). For instance, arsenite and arsenate commonly
occur as uncharged species ­(H3AsO3 and ­H3AsO4) under
normal and acidic conditions, but as negatively charged
species ­( H2AsO3−, ­H AsO32−, and A
­ sO33− for arsenite;
−
2−
­H2AsO4 , and H
­ AsO4 for arsenate) at high pH (> 6)
conditions (Lizama et al. 2011; Yu et al. 2014)). Besides
those inorganic arsenic species, Monomethylarsenic acid, or
MMA ­[CH3AsO(OH)2], and dimethyl arsenic acid, or DMA
[(CH3)2AsO(OH)], are also present in the soil both at low
and high concentrations (Zhao et al. 2010).
Elements such as Fe (iron), P (phosphorus), S (sulfur),
and Si (silicon) play a vital role for both As mobilization
and uptake in plant species. Among those elements, Fe
redox chemistry plays a significant role in arsenic behavior
in the soil medium. FeOOH acts as the main sorbent for both
inorganic arsenic species (arsenate and arsenite) (Takahashi
et al. 2004; Heikens et al. 2007). For arsenic released into
the soil, both the type of soil and the presence of oxygen
are the two vital factors that could stimulate FeOOH to
release arsenic species into the soil medium. (1) FeOOH
predominantly in the clayey soil compared with sandy soil,
therefore the arsenic content in the clayey soil is relatively
higher than sandy soil (Fitz and Wenzel 2002). Even though
there is a higher concentration of arsenic present in the
clayey soil, the clayey soil is less toxic due to arsenic being
more tightly bonded with clayey soil than with sandy soil.
51355
(2) The oxygenic condition of soil has a significant effect on
the dissolving capacity of FeOOH. Under anoxic conditions,
FeOOH can be quickly reduced, releasing arsenate into the
soil medium which is ultimately reduced to arsenite, whereas
under oxic conditions, FeOOH is moderately insoluble
and considered as a sink of arsenic (Heikens et al. 2007).
Meanwhile, a recent investigation in the river Meghna
floodplain (central region of Bangladesh) area has found
that reductive dissolution of Fe and Mn oxyhydroxides was
the principal process of arsenic release in the groundwater
system (Saha and Rahman 2020).
Besides Fe, P also plays an essential role for arsenic
absorption and accumulation in plants as P is considered
to be an analog of arsenate (Zhao et al. 2010). Phosphorus
competes with inorganic arsenic species of both arsenate and
arsenite for adsorption sites at Fe oxide surfaces ( Hossain
et al. 2009). As such, it has been shown that the addition of
phosphate could lead to remobilization of sorbed arsenate
from exchangeable sites and thus enhance the solubility,
bioavailability, and movement of arsenate from soils (Abedin
et al. 2002). It was previously speculated that the extensive
groundwater-based irrigation and application of P-based
fertilizer in the crop fields could initiate arsenic release
into the groundwater system in Bangladesh. However,
it was discovered that it is not present in several arseniccontaminated sites for example in the central east part of
Bangladesh (Acharyya et al. 2000; Saha and Rahman 2020).
Sulfur can affect arsenic speciation and mobilization in the
soil medium through two ways: (1) sulfide produced from bacterially mediated sulfate reduction can reduce and trap arsenic
as As-sulfide minerals in the sediment (e.g., orpiment ­(As2S3)
and realgar (AsS)) and (2) sulfide can also reduce As-bearing
iron oxides, liberating the sorbed arsenic (Fischer et al. 2021;
Saalfield et al. 2009). The seasonal variation in Bangladesh
can also influence the arsenic leaching from As-sulfide mineral
sources. Polizzotto et al. (2005) found that the throughput of
the dry season, e.g., sulfide minerals that are oxidized, leading
to the repartitioning of arsenic into ferric hydroxides which is
continued by reductive dissolution of iron and arsenic during
the consequent wet season. Therefore, cyclic redox conditions
in the near-surface sediments have an influence toward arsenic
mobilization in groundwater system in Bangladesh.
The occurrence of arsenic in Bangladesh
Arsenic contamination of groundwater in Bangladesh has
been attributed to two processes: (1) oxidation of arsenicrich pyrite by the presence of atmospheric oxygen due
to lowered groundwater tables and (2) reduction of iron
oxyhydroxide coupled to organic matter degradation during
high water flow conditions (Nickson et al. 1998; Rahman
et al. 2016). To understand the mobilization of global arsenic
13
51356
contamination, a number of theories have developed that
include reductive dissolution, alkali desorption, sulfide
oxidation, and geothermal activity (Ravenscroft et al. 2009).
Among those, reductive dissolution has been considered to
be major reason for arsenic mobilization in Bangladesh due
to the humid and tropical climate present in the alluvial
Bengal Delta zone (Raessler 2018).
Using surface waters as drinking water was not safe for
the mass population in Bangladesh especially in 70–80s.
Prior to this, both adults and children were affected by a
number of gastrointestinal diseases due to the frequent
consumption of bacteria-contaminated surface waters and
are considered to be one of the major reasons for the number
of water-borne diseases and mortality. The presence of those
microorganisms in the surface water sources in Bangladesh
have been an influencer for use of tubewell-based water.
During the 1970s, both the United Nations Children’s Fund
(UNICEF) and Department of Public Health Engineering
(DPHE), Bangladesh, jointly started installing tubewells for
increasing coverage of supply and access to safe drinking
water in Bangladesh (Smith et al. 2000; Gamble et al.
2007). Then in the early 1990s, arsenic contamination
was discovered in the groundwater of Bangladesh and was
considered to be a major environmental catastrophe (Khan
et al. 1997). In 1993, the presence of high levels of arsenic in
tubewell water in Bangladesh was confirmed in 44 districts
and arsenicosis was detected in 26 districts of them (Khan
et al. 1997). According to Raessler (2018), out of 11 million
tubewells, approximately 3 million of them contained more
than 10 µg/L arsenic (10 µg/L arsenic has recommended as
maximum safe water limit according to WHO (World Health
Organization).
The presence of high levels of arsenic in the food grains,
especially in the rice and vegetables grown in Bangladesh,
got exposure at the beginning of this millennium (Meharg
and Rahman 2003). Rice is considered to be a staple food
in this region. It is well established as one of the major
agronomic crops grown in Bangladesh and it requires a
high level of irrigation for optimum yield. To fulfil this
vast irrigation demand for rice cultivation in Bangladesh,
the farmers source more of their irrigation water from
groundwater (39.9%) than from surface water (0.2%)
sources (Shah et al. 2006; Hussain et al. 2021). Therefore,
frequent groundwater-based irrigation increases arsenic
load in the agricultural fields, and that in turn increases
arsenic availability and load in the rice cultivars grown
in Bangladesh. Seasonal variation and frequent flooding
also play an important role for arsenic deposition in the
agricultural soil in Bangladesh. In the topsoil, arsenic
concentration increases during irrigation period and later
during the monsoon flooding season, arsenic content become
reduced (Saha & Ali 2007; Chowdhury et al. 2021). It is
estimated that due to the groundwater-based irrigation,
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Environmental Science and Pollution Research (2022) 29:51354–51366
arsenic load in the soil could reach annually 4 kg As/ha in
the soil, whereas 0.5–2.5 kg As/ha were released from the
soil during the monsoon flooding process (Dittmar et al.
2010a).
Arsenic in water system
Drinking water
The network of tubewells in Bangladesh have operated
since 1940, and later expanded in the 1970s, to provide safe
drinking water sources for the population, but in 1993, high
arsenic content was found in the tubewell drinking water
in Barughuria Union, Nawabgonj district, for the first time
by the DPHE (Rahman 2002; Smith et al. 2000). During
the late 1990s, one of the earliest investigations of arsenic
content of tubewell water in Bangladesh reported arsenic
presence in the tubewell water samples. The investigation
analyzed water samples from 3490 tubewells and found that
28.1% and 21.9% of the surveyed tubewells contained As
concentration (> 50 µg/L) and (10–50 µg/L) respectively
(Khan et al. 1997). Later on, a systematic nationwide
arsenic survey was conducted by both BGS (Bangladesh
Geological Survey) and DPHE, and found that 27% of the
surveyed shallow tubewells (< 150-m depth) had arsenic
concentrations higher than the Bangladesh drinking water
standard (50 µg/L As) (Ahmed et al. 2004). In 1999, two
arsenic mitigation pilot projects (including tubewell water
testing, mitigation option feasibility, and public awareness
schemes) were launched by the NGO (non-government
organization) BRAC (Bangladesh rural development
committee) in Bangladesh (Chowdhury et al. 2000). Later
on, a number of Bangladesh based NGOs (e.g., NGO Forum
for Drinking water & Sanitation, Proshika) initiated arsenic
mitigation programs in different areas in Bangladesh (Milton
et al. 2012). However, even after such mitigation options
were implemented in different arsenic affected areas in
Bangladesh, the inhabitants still lack awareness about
arsenic, as well as, lack interest to identify safe drinking
water sources. A comparative study (blanket surveys)
12 years apart in Bangladesh have found that 66% of 2041
tubewells were unsafe, but were still used for drinking and
cooking purposes (van Geen et al. 2014).
Meanwhile, a number of research investigations regarding arsenic content in the drinking water and its health effect
were initiated in different parts of the country during the late
1990s. Those investigations have indicated that along with
skin lesions, arsenic exposure through drinking water could
increase diabetic mellitus, hypertension, and lung cancer
(ninefolds higher) in the human body (Yunus et al. 2011;
Argos et al. 2014). Furthermore, several chronic respiratory
symptoms have been increasingly found in children due to
Environmental Science and Pollution Research (2022) 29:51354–51366
their early life exposure to arsenic (Smith et al. 2013). A
recent study in Bangladesh has also found that consumption
of low to moderate level of arsenic (50 to 150 µg/L) through
drinking water could increase hyperglycemia especially in
female individuals (Paul et al. 2019). Moreover, a study
conducted in Nawabganj municipality, Chapai-Nawabganj
(a north-western district in Bangladesh), has reported that
average arsenic concentration in the groundwater of that area
reached 48.81 mg/L (Selim Reza and Jean 2012). Arsenic
ingestion during pregnancy has significant health effects,
for example the maternal urinary arsenic level during pregnancy of the mothers correlated with reduced thymus size
and T-cell proliferation in the newborns (Welch et al. 2019;
Ahmed et al. 2012; Raqib et al. 2009). Besides chronic disease-related problems, arsenic can cause a problem at the
genetic level in the human body as arsenic exposure through
drinking water has a strong influence on cellular level immunity and DNA methylation in the children that have been
raised in the arsenic affected areas in Bangladesh (Ahmed
et al. 2014; Broberg et al. 2014). The aforementioned studies
show that arsenic exposure through drinking water play an
important role for wellness of children and females especially
in highly arsenic-contaminated areas.
Irrigation water
Being an agricultural-based country, the cultivation of cereal
crops is considered to be one of the major agricultural activities in Bangladesh. The advancement of rice HYVs (high
yielding varieties) require high levels of irrigation during
the dry season for their production. Boro rice (high yielding rice varieties) cultivation has increased since 1970 and
cover nearly 20% of all of Bangladesh which is equivalent to
almost 45% of the total cultivable land areas of Bangladesh
(Harvey et al. 2006). However, the high volume of irrigation
practices is performed by using surface water and also shallow and deep tubewell sources. A report showed that during
the 2007–2008 dry season, approximately 1.3 million units of
shallow tubewells had been used to irrigate 3.2 million ha of
land in Bangladesh (Hossain 2009). Those shallow tubewells
play a major role for deposition of high levels of arsenic in
the topsoil. The number of investigations about arsenic content in irrigation water were relatively fewer compared to the
arsenic content in drinking water in the 1990s. A study found
that arsenic concentrations could reach up to 20–30 mg/kg
in soils that have been irrigated frequently with groundwater (Meharg and Rahman 2003). This added arsenic (both
arsenate and arsenite) from groundwater-based irrigation
could be temporarily sunk in the topsoil, and that then could
be easily released into the water-soil system and embedded
in the food chain system (Martin et al. 2007). However, a
number of factors play essential roles for As retention in the
agricultural soil such P, Fe content, distance from irrigation
51357
channel, duration, and irrigation water condition (flowing or
static) (Polizzotto et al. 2013; Dittmar et al. 2010b; Duxbury
and Panaullah 2007). Meanwhile, several studies have confirmed that arsenic content in the irrigation water in Bangladesh increased As content in the paddy soil, rice grain and
also decreased rice grain yield (Huhmann et al. 2019; Khan
et al. 2009, 2010; Panaullah et al. 2009).
Arsenic in food crops/agriculture
Cereal crops
Most of the crop cultivation in Bangladesh have been greatly
dependent on groundwater-based irrigation management due
to lack of surface water sources. Next to drinking water, a
number of studies have already indicated that the consumption
of food crops cultivated with As-rich groundwater is another
crucial pathway of arsenic accumulation into the human body
in Bangladesh (Panaullah et al. 2009; Sinha and Bhattacharyya 2015; Tani et al. 2012; Alam et al. 2019). This arsenic
exposure is due to growing food crops in arsenic-contaminated soil and/or irrigated with arsenic-contaminated groundwater. In Bangladesh, rice is one of the major agronomic crop
varieties, covering up to 75% of total agricultural land and
requiring 83% of irrigation water (Sandhi et al. 2017). The
use of As-contaminated irrigation water in Bangladesh has
been found to be the main cause for the accumulation of this
carcinogenic metalloid in the food crops (Das et al. 2009).
The accumulation of arsenic in the rice grains is strongly
correlated with As concentrations in the soils (Suriyagoda
et al. 2018a). Similar tendencies have been identified for arsenic uptake in plant grown in the areas with a high concentration of As in soils and irrigated with arsenic-rich groundwater (Kabir et al. 2016). Meharg and Rahman (2003) has
reported that total arsenic concentrations in rice grains from
Bangladesh range between 0.058 and 1.835 mg/kg, similar to
what reported for raw rice grown in the USA (0.2–0.46 mg/
kg) and in Taiwan (0.063–0.2 mg/kg). Therefore, arsenic
loading in the rice grain depends greatly on both the arseniccontaminated ground water-based irrigation system and the
continuously loaded arsenic in the top soil in the agricultural lands. Meanwhile, arsenic speciation (ex; inorganic and
organic arsenic species) in the rice grain have observed different trends which could be a possible outcome from arsenic
content in particular locations. For example, US-grown rice
contains mainly DMA compared to the rice varieties grown
in Bangladesh which contain mainly inorganic arsenic and
DMA is considered as less toxic related to inorganic arsenic
species (Duxbury et al. 2009). For instance, Duxbury et al.
(2009) has found that arsenic in Bangladeshi rice varieties
contain a mixture of about 80% inorganic forms and 20%
of organic forms. A survey about arsenic exposure through
13
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Environmental Science and Pollution Research (2022) 29:51354–51366
rice consumption in Marua village, Jessore, Bangladesh, has
found that an adult consumed 220 µg arsenic per day from
a food source, and rice alone contributed 86% of it (Tani
et al. 2012). Similar to this study, Geng et al. (2006) has also
shown that the amount of As ingested through rice consumption is about 0.08 µg ­g−1 and is very similar to the drinking water As level of 10 µg L
­ −1. However, arsenic-related
human health risks and their analysis through rice consumption not only depend on the rice varieties, arsenic content in
the soil and irrigation water of those cultivated rice fields,
and their arsenic AF (accumulation factor, metal/metalloid
concentration ratio of plant to soil). A field study conducted
in Matlab, Bangladesh, showed that arsenic content in the
de-husked grain of hybrid rice cultivars was low compared to
the local aromatic rice cultivar and that it could reduce health
risk through rice consumption; however, they have a higher
accumulation factor than the local rice varieties (Sandhi et al.
2017). Therefore, the rice cultivars high arsenic AF could
increase arsenic ingestion in the human food chain more if
they have been cultivated in As-rich environments (soil and
groundwater).
Application of As-rich irrigation water and the soils, both
are accountable for arsenic transfer and uptake in different
parts of rice plants, including straw, husk, and grain in Bangladesh (Kabir et al. 2016). The arsenic content in rice varies
depending on the type of rice cultivar, the place where it
was cultivated, and how it was processed. In Table 1, the
difference between arsenic content in the rice husk and
grain parts of common rice varieties grown in Bangladesh
is shown. Previous datasets have included scientific information pertaining to rice cultivar investigations from the
fields of or collected grains, and later laboratory grown
conditions, exclusively from Bangladesh in last 20 years,
not any other regions or countries. Meanwhile, a number
of studies regarding As content in rice grain have been performed in Bangladesh, but most of them have focused on
household rice sample collection (without accompanying
soil and irrigation water samples). Therefore, it is not easy
to locate and co-relate the location of the rice field precisely
and in our review, we have omitted those data. A number
of studies have found that the Brown rice contains higher
concentrations of arsenic than white rice (Norton et al.
2010; Torres-Escribano et al. 2008; Williams et al. 2005).
Moreover, changes in arsenic content may occur during
the preparation of food where cooking water could play a
significant role; cooking or preparation of rice with arsenic
non-contaminated water could reduce the arsenic content of
the rice (Cubadda et al. 2003). The cooked rice lowers 17%
and 46% of the As exposure and risk in terms of Miniket
and Kataribhogh rice (respectively, common names) (Sekine
et al. 2017). On the other hand, Sandhi et al. (2017) has
found that the de-husked grain of local aromatic rice (kalijira
cultivar) had higher (0.09–0.21 mg ­kg−1) content, whereas
the HYV (high yield varieties) rice contained less arsenic
concentration. Another study has found that the outer fraction of rice (husk) might act as a translocation barrier for
As absorption by rice grain (Kabir et al. 2016). The International Codex Alimentarius has revised the standard for
maximum levels for inorganic arsenic in husked rice grain
(0.35 mg ­kg−1) and polished rice grain (0.20 mg ­kg−1) in
2019 (FAO and WHO 2019). Arsenic levels in Boro season
rice are higher than Aman season rice, and it might co-relate
Table 1 Total arsenic concentration (µg g­ −1 DW) in grain and husk of different rice cultivars of high yield varieties (HYV) and local aromatic
cultivars grown in Bangladesh. This dataset includes exclusively those works either done in the field or pot cultivation in Bangladesh
Rice cultivars
Rice type
Cultivation media
De-husked rice grain
Husk
Rice grain
References
BRRI dhan 33
BRRI dhan 28
BRRI hybrid dhan 1
BRRI dhan 29
BRRI dhan 33
BRRI dhan 29
BRRI dhan 10
BRRI dhan 11
BR 11
Bina Dhan 6
Bina Dhan 14
Kheali Boro
Kalijira
Nayanmoni
Swarna
Kalijira
HYV
HYV
HYV
HYV
HYV
HYV
HYV
HYV
HYV
HYV
HYV
Local
Local
Local
Local
Local
Pot culture
Field
Field
Field
Field
Field
Field
Field
Field
Field
Field
Field
Field
Field
Field
Field
0.70–0.20
0.6 ± 0.0
0.7 ± 0.2
0.59–0.22
0.81–0.22
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
0.21–0.09
6.21–0.295
1.7 ± 0.1
1.9 ± 0.1
2.48–1.20
2.24–1.32
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
0.134–0.065
–
–
–
–
–
0.65 ± 0.02
0.31 ± 0.02
0.21 ± 0.0
1.84–1.74
0.18 ± 10
0.30 ± 16
0.36 ± 16
0.18 ± 0.3
0.27 ± 0.02
0.096
–
Hossain et al. 2009
Rahman et al. 2007
Rahman et al. 2007
Khan et al. 2010
Khan et al. 2010
Talukder et al. 2011
Williams et al. 2006
Williams et al. 2006
Meharg and Rahman 2003
Islam et al. 2017
Islam et al. 2017
Islam et al. 2017
Williams et al. 2006
Williams et al. 2006
Meharg and Rahman 2003
Sandhi et al. 2017
13
Environmental Science and Pollution Research (2022) 29:51354–51366
with the increased irrigation with As-rich groundwater in the
Boro rice and the mitigation recommendation was to reduce
groundwater-based irrigation frequency (Duxbury et al.
2003; Meharg and Rahman 2003; Williams et al. 2006).
Horticultural crops
After the observation of high levels of arsenic in the groundwater system and irrigation water of Bangladesh, the concern for arsenic content in vegetables has also increased.
One of the very initial studies found arsenic concentrations
in different kinds of vegetables, including bottle gourd
(Lagenaria siceraria), taro (Colocasia esculenta), and
eddoe (Colocasia schott), and at the time of publication it
was below the arsenic PTWI (provisional tolerable weekly
intake) of 0.015 mg ­kg−1 body weight available (Alam et al.
2003). In 2004, a study reported that total arsenic concentrations in arum leaves (Colocasia antiquorum), potatoes
(Solanum tuberosum), and water spinach (Ipomoea reptans)
were 0.09–3.99 mg/kg, 0.07–1.39 mg/kg, and 0.1–1.53 mg/
kg, respectively (Das et al. 2004). They have also demonstrated that growth in aquatic conditions and proximity to
nearby an As-contaminated tubewells are the reasons for
high arsenic content in both arum leaves and water spinach.
Another study found that arsenic concentrations in vegetables imported from Bangladesh were 2-–100-fold higher
than vegetables that were grown in UK (United Kingdom),
EU (European Union), America, and Croatia (Al Rmalli
et al. 2005). A study found that crops within the Araceae
family (such as eddoe (Colocasia schott) and taro (Colocasia
esculenta)) contained higher levels of arsenic in Feni district
(Southeast part of Bangladesh) and application of hand or
shallow tubewell-based irrigation could be a possible reason
51359
for the elevated levels of arsenic in these crops (Karim et al.
2008).
In recent years, an investigation of 13 different
vegetable species grown in Bangladesh found high arsenic
concentration (0.52 mg/kg fresh weight) and AF in Bean
(Phaseolus vulgaris) and the possible reasons for this high
arsenic content includes, both As-rich irrigation water and
As-containing pesticide applications (Islam et al. 2016).
Among different vegetable crops, leafy vegetables (lettuce)
and bean vegetables have a strong tendency for higher arsenic
accumulation and translocation in their above-ground parts
(Greger et al. 2015). Although there is no global standard
for the maximum arsenic limit in the vegetables, health
agencies from several countries recommended 0.1 mg/kg
FW (fresh weight) arsenic in the vegetables (Mcbride 2013).
The number of investigations pertaining to arsenic content
in vegetables was relatively fewer compared to the cereal
crops, but relatively high arsenic translocation mechanism
in vegetable crops demand more attention in order to reduce
arsenic accumulation in the human body.
Arsenic remediation technologies
for groundwater and irrigation
When compared to the number of investigations about
health effects of As, potential arsenic removal from drinking water has been rarely studied. Different arsenic removal
and filtration technologies used in Bangladesh were summarized in Table 2. Since the beginning of this millennium,
Bangladesh has started developed and has tested different
technologies and methods to mitigate arsenic contamination
in the groundwater system. A modified filtration technique
namely a simpler 3 pitcher (locally also known as kolsi)
Table 2 A summary of different techniques for mitigating arsenic contamination in the groundwater and agricultural fields in Bangladesh
Name of technologies
Tested medium
Location(s)
Uses
Reference
SIDKO (granular ferric hydroxidebased technology)
Alcan (enhanced activated alumina)
Improved dug well
SONO filter (composite iron matrix)
Groundwater
Jhikargaccha Upzila
Household
"
"
"
Narayangonj District
Pabna District
16 different Districts
"
"
Surface water
Condensation of
atmospheric water
vapor
Irrigation water
Irrigation water
3 subdistricts in Khulna division
Comilla
Dacope Upzila
Dhaka Division
Household
Household
Household,
Primary school
premises
Household
Household
Household
Household
Chowdhury et al. 2000;
Jones et al. 2008
Jalil and Ahmed 2001
Joya et al. 2006
Hussam and Munir 2007
Shafiquzzaman 2017
Kundu et al. 2018
Harun and Kabir 2013
Islam et al. 2010
Dhaka Division
Mymensingh district
Rice cultivation
Rice cultivation
Polizzotto et al. 2015
Norton et al. 2017a, b
Arsenic removal filter (ARF)
Sub-surface arsenic removal (SAR)
Pond sand filter
Rainwater harvesting
Jute mushed irrigation channel
AWD (alternative wetting and drying)
13
51360
has applied and successfully reduced arsenic concentrations
in the filtrated water below the WHO As drinking water
standard (10 µg/L) under laboratory conditions (Khan et al.
2000). Meanwhile, SIDKO (granular ferric hydroxide-based
technology) has been introduced in Jhikargaccha Upzila for
household water filtration, but it has a number of weakness,
including high cost, low water flow rate, and intensive management (Chowdhury et al. 2000). Another water filtration
technology Alcan (enhancedactivated alumina) has shown
potential as it could efficiently reduce As, Mn, and Fe from
the water system. However, it suffers from a high risk of
bacterial contamination and less user-friendly structure (Jalil
and Ahmed 2001).
A number of pilot-scaled technologies, such as improved
dug well, pond sand filter, SONO filter, arsenic removal
filter (ARF), sub-surface arsenic removal (SAR), and
rainwater harvesting have been tested in different parts
of Bangladesh during 2006–2017 (Hussam and Munir
2007; Milton et al. 2012; Kundu et al. 2018). Among these
technologies, SONO filter got a lot of attention, because it
has low economic cost and can be locally manufactured. It
was patented in 2002 and 30,000 filter units were deployed
all-over Bangladesh, but then slow water flow rate made
it less popular (Hanchett et al. 2011; Hussam and Munir
2007). Moreover, other studies have also found that SONO
filters could effectively remove arsenic for up to 8 years
without any replacement (Neumann et al. 2013). The color
of sediment could help to detect the safe drinking water
sources during tubewell installation process. This sediment
color detection method was developed in a prominent arsenic
hotspot area named Matlab upzilla in Bangladesh, where the
sediment color (during tubewell drilling processes) used for
the identification of potential low arsenic aquifers in arseniccontaminated areas, especially by the drillers involved for
tubewell implementation processes (von Brömssen et al.
2007). Meanwhile, the SAR technique for arsenic mitigation
from the groundwater sources has got attention in number
of arsenic-contaminated locations on the Asian continent
including Bangladesh also (Kundu et al. 2018).
It has been reported that approximately 106,939 arsenic
mitigation options have implemented in different parts of
Bangladesh e.g., installation of dugwells, pond sand filters,
rainwater harvesters, deep tubewells, arsenic iron removal
filters and so on (Milton et al. 2012). Meanwhile, another
survey-based study (1268 Bangladeshi households) has also
found the most acceptable options for safe drinking water in
Bangladeshi rural inhabitants (high score: piped water system,
household filter system, and deep tube well water), (medium
score: community arsenic removal technologies, pond sand
filter, rainwater harvesting), and (low score: dug wells and
well sharing) (Inauen et al. 2013). In addition, for reduction
of arsenic exposure through drinking water, the Government
of Bangladesh (GOB) initiated a piped national-scale water
13
Environmental Science and Pollution Research (2022) 29:51354–51366
system, financed by the World Bank during 2012–2017, supplying “clean” water to about 21,802 household (IEG Review
team 2018). Implement of national-scale piped water systems
could be the ultimate solution for reduction of arsenic contamination in drinking water in Bangladesh, as suggested by
(Jamil et al. 2019).
In contrast to the reduction of arsenic content in drinking
water sources, arsenic mitigation options/technologies for
irrigation water were less tested/implemented in Bangladesh.
A study found that a jute fiber mesh-based irrigation channel
structure could reduce arsenic loading in rice fields in
Bangladesh (Polizzotto et al. 2015). A study has found that
the alternation of irrigation patterns like the permanent
raised bed (PRB) could reduce arsenic content in the rice
grain (Talukder et al. 2011). Besides those, it has been shown
that the alternative wetting and drying (AWD) method-based
rice cultivation could reduce arsenic content in the shoot (up
to 26%), but also increased Cd (cadmium), Cu (copper), and
Mn (manganese) contents in the rice plants (Norton et al.
2017a, b). Several agronomic and biotechnological strategies
have suggested methods for reduction of arsenic content in
the rice grain including the use of surface water (pond, lake,
canal, river) or water from deep tubewells, modification
of rice genotype through bioecological tools, and silicon
fertilizer application (Das et al. 2020; Suriyagoda et al.
2018b). A study has found that rice genotype contributes
9–10% of the grain arsenic concentration in 38 BRRI
(Bangladesh Rice Research Institute)-released rice varieties
(Ahmed et al. 2011). Another study has also suggested that
genetic variation plays a vital role in the rice grain arsenic
content (Norton et al. 2012). Therefore, rice breeding has
a strong potential for reducing grain arsenic content by
identifying responsible genes for low arsenic content in the
new rice cultivars.
Meanwhile, the post-harvest management of rice grain
also plays a vital role for reduction of arsenic content in
the grain. Rice polishing and alternation in the post-harvest
steps (ex; parboiling) could reduce arsenic content in the
rice grain (Rahman et al. 2019b; Sandhi et al. 2017). There
are several procedures and recommendations for reducing
arsenic content in the rice grain at the consumer’s level also
which considered proper washing, watering, and pouring
excess water after cooking could decrease the level of
arsenic exposure through rice consumption in human body
(Yang et al. 2017).
Past and present arsenic management,
policies, and practices in Bangladesh
After the first groundwater arsenic contamination in Bangladesh was discovered in 1993, the GOB initiated the first
action plan for arsenic management in 1997. They conducted
Environmental Science and Pollution Research (2022) 29:51354–51366
a survey in previously identified arsenic-contaminated areas
and found 62% of 32,651 tubewells in 200 villages have
arsenic concentrations above 100 µg/L (Smith et al. 2000).
During 1999–2005, the GOB launched a program named
BAMWSP (Bangladesh Arsenic Mitigation Water Supply
Program) financed by World Bank and screenend (blanket
survey) As concentrations in tubewells of 270 uppzillas and
stored 4.8 million well arsenic concentration data-points in
NAMIC (National Arsenic Mitigation Information Centre)
(Johnston and Sarker 2007; Balasubramanya and Horbulyk
2018).). Approximately 29.1% of those tested tubewells had
arsenic concentrations higher than the Bangladesh standard
for arsenic content in drinking water (50 µg/L or 50 ppb)
(Kabir and Howard 2007). The national arsenic content tubewell survey was also conducted in 2009 by BBS (Bangladesh
Bureau of Statistics) and UNICEF, which found 53 million
and 22 million people of Bangladesh were exposed to arsenic contamination according to Bangladesh drinking water
standard (50 µg/L) and WHO standard (10 µg/L) respectively
(Hossain et al. 2015). During 2004–2010, the DPHE initiated
another project named BWSPP (Bangladesh Water Supply
Program Project) financed by the World Bank (55.11 million
US dollars) for achieving water sanitation-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) within 2015 (Tuinhof and
Kemper 2010; BWSPP 2013). That project included several
components including private sector participation for rural
piped water supply, promoted private sector involvement in
the municipalities, arsenic mitigation measures in arsenic
affected areas, monitoring, and evaluation and capacity building for piped water supply system in the rural areas (BWSPP
2013). Another initiative was also taken by the DPHE,
financed by the World Bank (2012–2017) named BRWSSP
(Bangladesh Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project) to
increase safe provision of arsenic safe water and hygienic
sanitation in the rural areas of Bangladesh and facilitate
emergency response (including installation of piped water
system in arsenic affected rural areas) (IEG Review Team
2018). The installation of a piped water system for arsenic
mitigation options for drinking water demands more focus
as the intermediate aquifer has been greatly affected by the
pumping process and it has impacts on arsenic contamination in the groundwater of that particular area (Mozumder
et al. 2020a). Besides rural locations, arsenic exposure is also
increasing in the mega cities of Bangladesh. A recent study
has also reported that pumping groundwater in the capital city Dhaka enhances influx of reactive carbon and that
increases Fe oxide reduction and arsenic release processes
(Mozumder et al. 2020b; Mihajlov et al. 2020). Meanwhile,
the feasibility of arsenic mitigation technologies in particular
and its profitability also greatly depend on the number of
families that could utilize the systems, the water delivery
systems, and local employment generation through those
technologies (German et al. 2019).
51361
In addition to these large initiatives from the GOB, a
number of foreign donors together with different local govt.
organizations also implemented several projects for arsenic
mitigation in this region. For instance, the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) with the DPHE have
implemented 6000 deep tubewells in the severely arsenic
affected 11 upzillas (2001–2004) (Sharma and Tjell 2003).
Similarly, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) also performed two regional evaluation
and monitoring projects named arsenic in tubewell water
and health consequences in Matlab Upazila of Chandpur
district (AsMat) and sustainable arsenic mitigation (SASMIT) (Hossain et al. 2015). Besides those two agencies,
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC),
Department of International Development, UK (DFID),
Japan Intentional Cooperation Agency (JICA), Swiss Red
Cross, United Nations Development Programme, Water Aid,
UNICEF, and WHO also conducted a number of arsenic mitigation projects in different regions with local government
and NGO organizations (NAMIC 2004). Meanwhile, the
number of As mitigation plans and policies in Bangladesh
has been declined because of the lack of available foreign
aid (Adams 2013). A recent survey conducted by BBS and
UNICEF have found that approximately 11.8% population
of Bangladesh still frequently use As-contaminated water
(> 50 µg/L) as their drinking water sources (BBS and Unicef
2019). Meanwhile, the arsenic testing kits for arsenic measurement in field condition also need to be carefully selected
because some of them have been shown to lack of accuracy
and precision (Reddy et al. 2020). The habits of people also
play an important role for implementation and adaption of
new arsenic mitigation technologies as a comparative survey study has found that people are still attached to shallow
tubewell water sources even with arsenic or salinity content
due to their habit and reliability (Naus et al. 2020).
Conclusions and outlook
Arsenic-rich drinking water sources were considered to be
the most significant environmental health complication in
Bangladesh. Regardless of gender, high arsenic exposure in
the drinking water increases mortality among young adults
(Rahman et al. 2019b). During the last two decades, a number
of national and international NGOs alongside government
organizations have been working in Bangladesh for investigations, surveys, and arsenic mitigation plan implementation
in different parts of this country. Arsenic contamination in
the groundwater is not considered a local or regional environmental disaster but rather a global problem. Arsenic concentration in the groundwater is exceeded the WHO maximum permissible limit for drinking water (10 µg/L) in 108
countries globally (Shaji et al. 2021). Apart from developing
13
51362
countries like Bangladesh, developed countries like the USA
and Canada also reported As contamination in their groundwater systems (Sorg et al. 2014). This review would provide
(1) brief information about case studies for As mitigation
plans in a developing country and (2) relative success rates
by applying different agricultural managements for As reduction in crops in a similar agro-ecological zone. According to
SDG (sustainable development goals) targets announced by
UN (United Nations), by 2030, the improvement of water
quality and integrated water resources management are considered to be one of the major targets (target 6.3 and 6.5)
that need to be fulfilled under this SDGs action plan (UN
General Assembly 2015). In conclusion the “take home”
message from this review that the development of affordable and sustainable technologies will not be successful for
arsenic mitigation strategies in Bangladesh, unless there is an
introduction of nationwide arsenic health affect related social
awareness schemes on a mass scale.
Acknowledgements The authors are thankful to Tommy Landberg,
Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm
University, Stockholm, Sweden, for initial critical comments. The
authors are also thankful to Anders Johnson, Department of Biology
and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden, for
editing English grammar of this article.
Author contribution Arifin Sandhi—conceptualization, original
draft, writing, review, and editing; Changxun Yu—writing, review
and editing; Md. Marufur Rahman—writing, review and editing; Md.
Nurul Amin—writing.
Funding Open access funding provided by Linnaeus University.
Data availability Not applicable.
Declarations
Eths approval Not applicable.
Consent to participate Not applicable.
Consent to publish All the authors are willing to publish this paper
in ESPR.
Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests.
Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long
as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source,
provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes
were made. The images or other third party material in this article are
included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated
otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in
the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not
permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will
need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a
copy of this licence, visit http://​creat​iveco​mmons.​org/​licen​ses/​by/4.​0/.
13
Environmental Science and Pollution Research (2022) 29:51354–51366
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