~ Research ~

While the dynamics of arsenic in soil, water and crops have been extensively studied, the health risks the farmers get through their long-term exposure of arsenic to their surrounding environments, both occupational and domestic, were unheeded. The present study aimed to assess the health risks of farmers associated with their exposure to arsenic through ingestion of arsenic contaminated soils and rice as well as through their dermal contact with soil using a human health risk assessment software RISC5. The study also evaluated the risks associated with different levels of soil arsenic and rice consumptions to identify whether higher consumption of rice would pose a risk even at low soil arsenic concentrations or vice versa. The data from a questionnaire survey of 360 farmers and total soil arsenic concentrations of 99 paddy soil samples from 4 different districts (Chandpur, Dinajpur, Jashore and Pabna) of Bangladesh were used to assess the human health risk from arsenic exposure. The results showed that whatever be the soil arsenic concentrations, the amount of rice consumed had greater effect on posing health risk indicating rice consumption as the major source of exposure to arsenic, and long-term exposures through ingestion of soil and through dermal contact with soil had minor contributions towards posing potential risk to human health. The daily intake of high amount of rice by the residents in rural Bangladesh can pose a potential threat to their health due to long-term arsenic exposure.

Supervisor: Dr. Md. Tanvir Ahmed Chowdhury
  Associate Professor, Department of Soil, Water and Environment
          University of Dhaka