Integrated Strategies for Mitigating Arsenic Contamination in Agriculture

Saroj Kumar Sanyal

Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, India

Title: Integrated strategies for mitigating arsenic contamination in agricultural cropping systems

Abstract

A series of multidisciplinary research investigations conducted over three consecutive years focused on developing effective strategies to mitigate arsenic contamination in agricultural cropping systems and reduce arsenic accumulation in economically important crop produce. Based on the experimental findings, a set of recommendations was formulated to minimize arsenic loading in crops, improve agricultural water management, and reduce the associated risks to human health.The major recommendations include the conjunctive use of groundwater and relatively arsenic-free surface water throughout the cropping sequence to minimize arsenic accumulation in agricultural produce. The application of organic manures, such as farmyard manure, vermicompost, and municipal solid-waste compost, in combination with inorganic fertilizers, was recommended because organic amendments can bind arsenic into relatively stable complexes and reduce its bioavailability.The use of inorganic amendments, particularly calcium, zinc, and silicon salts, was also suggested wherever applicable to restrict arsenic accumulation in edible and economically important plant parts. Furthermore, phytoremediation, particularly phytoextraction using arsenic-hyperaccumulating plants, and bioremediation approaches to transform toxic arsenic species into less toxic or non-toxic forms were identified as important remediation strategies.

Additional recommendations included the artificial recharge of groundwater using excess arsenic-free rainwater and the adoption of efficient water-management techniques to minimize arsenic loading throughout the cropping sequence.Community awareness was recognized as an essential component of arsenic mitigation. Awareness programmes were recommended for people residing in arsenic-affected areas to educate them about the adverse effects of arsenic exposure on human health and the available preventive and remediation measures. Organizing farmers' field days in affected areas was also proposed to facilitate the dissemination of research findings and promote the adoption of recommended agricultural practices.

At the conclusion of the three consecutive years of experimentation, comprehensive recommendations, including medical and physicians' advisories, were formulated and communicated to the concerned funding agencies for evaluation and subsequent implementation in arsenic-affected regions.Over the past two decades, the researcher has served as the Principal Investigator of several multidisciplinary and multi-institutional research projects supported by prominent national and international funding agencies, including the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi; the Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India; the Central Ground Water Board, Government of India; the World Bank through ICAR; and the State Water Investigation Directorate, Government of West Bengal.

Keywords: Arsenic contamination, agricultural cropping systems, groundwater management, phytoremediation, phytoextraction, bioremediation, organic amendments, arsenic mitigation, water management, human health.

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Title: Integrated strategies for mitigating arsenic contamination in agricultural cropping systems

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