Arsenic Contamination in Major Food Crops: Issues and Mitigation in Indian Subcontinent Perspective

Widespread chronic arsenic (As) poisoning is a global concern due to consumption of arsenic-contaminated drinking water. Arsenic contamination in groundwater through geological sources and anthropogenic activities has been detected in many countries like the United States, Argentina, Taiwan, China, Hungary, Vietnam, India, and Bangladesh. Serious health hazards and deaths for millions due to As poisoning have been reported by many workers. While As contamination in drinking water has attracted much attention, its contamination in food chain has become a menace, particularly in intensively cropped areas of Bengal delta basin (India and Bangladesh). Growing crops in arsenic-contaminated soils with groundwater irrigation is primarily responsible for As contamination in food crops. The uptake of arsenic depends on various factors like type of crop, crop-growing condition (aerobic or anaerobic), water requirement, etc. During the post-monsoon season, crops like wheat, potato, winter vegetables as pea or French bean, and summer crops thrive more on groundwater-supported irrigation, making them vulnerable to arsenic contamination. Tolerance level of crops therefore becomes an important yardstick in mitigating arsenic stress along with interventions in water management, cultural practices, soil amendments, and fertilization with use of organics. Understanding the nature of arsenic contamination and its uptake helps in formulating appropriate strategies to ameliorate the negative impacts of As-stress limiting crop productivity and subsequent health hazards. This chapter would be handy to the students, agricultural researchers, and policymakers to acquaint themselves with the issue toward research and development programs to alleviate As-stress in major food crops.