Department of Environmental Science, University of Kalyani, Nadia, Kalyani, West Bengal, India.
J Environ Sci Health A Tox Hazard Subst Environ Eng. 2011;46(11):1259-65. doi: 10.1080/10934529.2011.598810.
The widespread incidence of chronic arsenicosis in the Bengal Delta has led to intensive research on arsenic (As) enrichment in groundwater as well as accumulation in foodstuffs, as there are potential health risks associated with exposure to As from both sources. This study deals with human As exposure through the drinking of groundwater, consumption of locally grown foodstuffs (e.g., crops and vegetables) and cooked food in Nadia district, West Bengal. Groundwater and foodstuffs were collected and analyzed with FI-HG-AAS to estimate the total As content. Urine samples collected from human subjects were analyzed to assess the As exposure. Two major crops, boro and aman rice, showed a considerable amount of As, with mean values of 194 and 156 μg kg(-1), respectively. Significant levels of As were also found in other common crops and vegetables cultivated in this area (for example, the mean As in Arum and radish was 780 and 674 μg kg(-1), respectively). Total intake of As from foodstuffs by adults (560 μg day(-1)) and children (393 μg day(-1)) in the area was found to be at alarming levels. Arsenic exposure was demonstrated by the presence of As in urine (ranging between 154 and 276 μg L(-1)), with overall As retention of 50-60 %. The results of this study further indicate the potential risk of As exposure to local inhabitants through the food chain which is associated with continuous consumption of As-contaminated foodstuffs. Therefore, more action needs to be taken to control the contamination pathways (such as the water-soil-crop system) to protect humans from continuous ingestion of As through foodstuffs.
孟加拉三角洲广泛存在的慢性砷中毒导致人们对地下水砷富集以及食物中砷积累进行了深入研究，因为接触这两种来源的砷都存在潜在的健康风险。本研究涉及西孟加拉邦纳迪亚区通过饮用地下水、食用当地种植的食物（如作物和蔬菜）以及烹饪食物导致的人体砷暴露。采集地下水和食物样本并用氢化物发生原子吸收分光光度法（FI-HG-AAS）进行分析，以估算总砷含量。从人体采集的尿液样本用于分析评估砷暴露情况。两种主要作物，籼稻和粳稻，砷含量相当高，平均值分别为 194 和 156μg/kg。该地区种植的其他常见作物和蔬菜也发现了显著水平的砷（例如，天南星和萝卜中的平均砷含量分别为 780 和 674μg/kg）。该地区成年人（560μg/天）和儿童（393μg/天）从食物中摄入的砷总量被认为处于危险水平。通过尿液中存在的砷（范围在 154 和 276μg/L 之间）证实了砷暴露，砷总保留率为 50-60%。本研究结果进一步表明，通过食物链，当地居民可能会面临砷暴露的潜在风险，这与持续食用受砷污染的食物有关。因此，需要采取更多行动来控制污染途径（如水-土-作物系统），以防止人类通过食物持续摄入砷。
