Risk management for arsenic in agricultural soil–water systems: lessons learned from case studies in Europe

Kirsti Loukola-Ruskeeniemi,Ingo Müller,Susan Reichel,Celia Jones,Fabienne Battaglia-Brunet,Mark Elert,Marina Le Guédard,Tarja Hatakka,Jennifer Hellal,Isabel Jordan,Juha Kaija,Riitta L Keiski,Jana Pinka,Timo Tarvainen,Auli Turkki,Esa Turpeinen,Hanna Valkama

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127677

Abstract

Chronic exposure to arsenic may be detrimental to health. We investigated the behaviour, remediation and risk management of arsenic in Freiberg, Germany, characterized by past mining activities, and near Verdun in France, where World War I ammunition was destroyed. The main results included: (1) pot experiments using a biologically synthesized adsorbent (sorpP) with spring barley reduced the mobility of arsenic, (2) the Omega-3 Index ecotoxicological tests verified that sorpP reduced the uptake and toxicity of arsenic in plants, (3) reverse osmosis membrane systems provided 99.5% removal efficiency of arsenic from surface water, (4) the sustainability assessment revealed that adsorption and coagulation–filtration processes were the most feasible options for the treatment of surface waters with significant arsenic concentrations, and (5) a model was developed for assessing health risk due to arsenic exposure. Risk management is the main option for extensive areas, while remediation options that directly treat the soil can only be considered in small areas subject to sensitive use. We recommend the risk management procedure developed in Germany for other parts of the world where both geogenic and anthropogenic arsenic is present in agricultural soil and water. Risk management measures have been successful both in Freiberg and in Verdun.

Highlights

There are no globally accepted recommendations, regulation or guidelines for arsenic (As) in agricultural soil and water, even though dietary intake is an important source of exposure (e.g., Nachman et al, 2018; Shibata et al, 2016) and As-contaminated irrigation water leads to transfer into crops and vegetables (e.g., Bhatti et al, 2013).Chronic exposure to inorganic As may cause various illnesses, from cognitive impairment, mental health and skin disorders to different types of cancer (e.g., Pearce et al, 2012; Cubadda et al, 2017; Chen and Costa, 2021)
The main results included: (1) pot experiments using a bio logically synthesized adsorbent with spring barley reduced the mobility of arsenic, (2) the Omega-3 Index ecotoxicological tests verified that sorpP reduced the uptake and toxicity of arsenic in plants, (3) reverse osmosis membrane systems provided 99.5% removal efficiency of arsenic from surface water, (4) the sustainability assessment revealed that adsorption and coagulation–filtration processes were the most feasible options for the treatment of surface waters with significant arsenic concentrations, and (5) a model was developed for assessing health risk due to arsenic exposure
We recommend the risk management procedure developed in Germany for other parts of the world where both geogenic and anthropogenic arsenic is present in agricultural soil and water

Summary

Introduction

There are no globally accepted recommendations, regulation or guidelines for arsenic (As) in agricultural soil and water, even though dietary intake is an important source of exposure (e.g., Nachman et al, 2018; Shibata et al, 2016) and As-contaminated irrigation water leads to transfer into crops and vegetables (e.g., Bhatti et al, 2013).Chronic exposure to inorganic As may cause various illnesses, from cognitive impairment, mental health and skin disorders to different types of cancer (e.g., Pearce et al, 2012; Cubadda et al, 2017; Chen and Costa, 2021). There are no globally accepted recommendations, regulation or guidelines for arsenic (As) in agricultural soil and water, even though dietary intake is an important source of exposure (e.g., Nachman et al, 2018; Shibata et al, 2016) and As-contaminated irrigation water leads to transfer into crops and vegetables (e.g., Bhatti et al, 2013). Current guideline values and risk management recom mendations for As mainly focus on drinking water even though rice has been proved to be another major exposure route to humans (e.g., Heikens et al, 2007; Signes-Pastor et al, 2021; Upadhyay et al, 2019; Mondal et al, 2020). Arsenic uptake from water and soil to maize may represent an important exposure route for humans and livestock as well, especially in Latin America, Africa and Asia, where maize consumption is high (Rosas-Castor et al, 2014). The higher the total soil As concentration, the greater the uptake of As by crops (Punshon et al, 2017), with the exception that As can be immobilized by iron oxides in aerated soils derived from iron-bearing bedrock or an influx of

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion