Study reveals method to decrease arsenic in contaminated paddy field
The methodology involves application of some bacteria
KOLKATA: A study by the School of Environmental Studies (SoES) of Jadavpur University has revealed that intervention methodology by application of some indigenous bacterial genera show considerable arsenic sequestration capabilities alone as well as with other indigenous bacteria.
“The enhanced sequestration activity of the consortium with the indigenous bacterial population has revealed an overall decrease in arsenic content of the soil in the microcosm set ups which proves the suitability of application of this consortium at field level. 149 bacterial strains were isolated from arsenic contaminated paddy field soil of Bengal,” Tarit Roychowdhury, faculty member of SoES involved in the study said.
The study assumes significance as Bengal is one of the
major producers of rice in India and irrigation of paddy fields with highly arsenic contaminated groundwater enhances the arsenic uptake by the growing paddy.
Hence, application of remedial procedures in reduction of its uptake by the paddy plant is imperative.
Arsenic is known for its well-known carcinogenic health effects and is the most severe environmental geogenic contaminant unprecedentedly contaminating around 0.173 million square kms of area in
Bengal.
This majorly includes the nine districts of Bengal – North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Murshidabad, Nadia, Malda, Howrah, Hooghly, Kolkata and East Burdwan. However, severe arsenic contamination of groundwater has been reported in four districtsthe two 24 Parganas, Murshidabad and Nadia. Infact, Gaigahta in North 24 Parganas which is known for its notorious arsenic content in groundwater was chosen for the study.
According to Roychowdhury
increasing arsenic contamination in groundwater and soil of Bengal delta plain is an alarming concern with arsenic sneaking into humans through drinking water and food stuffs as well.
“The study provides a novel insight for potential use of the consortia in bio-remediating arsenic contaminated soil through microbial bio-sequestration approach,” he added.
Soma Ghosh, another researcher involved in the study said that this has been the first report showing arsenic sequestration capacity of indigenous isolates in consortium leading to effective reduction in soil arsenic content, besides preserving the soil microbial ecology.
The bacterial strains are presently being synthesised in the laboratory and put in the field level to find out the remeditation percentage of arsenic and its exact reduction.