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Detection of Arsenic in Wheat and Wheat Bran Animal Feeds in Faridpur Sadar Upazilla

Md. Ayatullah
Department of Pharmacology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh

Md. Shahadat Hossain*
Department of pathology and Parasitology, Jhenaidah Government Veterinary College, Jhenaidah, Bangladesh

Md. Khalesur Rahman
Department of Microbiology, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur, Bangladesh

Tazvi Monjur
Department of Anatomy and Histology, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur, Bangladesh

Md. Mahabub Hasan
Department of Pathology and Parasitology, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur, Bangladesh

Md. Ashraf Ali
Department of pathology and Parasitology, Jhenaidah Government Veterinary College, Jhenaidah, Bangladesh

Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman
Department of Pharmacology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Arsenic is naturally occurring element. Chemically, arsenic is always present as compounds with oxygen, chlorine, sulpher, carbon and hydrogen on one hand and with lead, gold and iron on the others. It is significantly threatening in case of Bangladesh as 61 out of 64 districts are affected by arsenic. Arsenic is spreading in various ways in the environment and creating various hazards. With a view to detect the level of arsenic concentration in animal feed chain this study was performed. For this purpose the FI-HG-AAS (Flow Injection Hidride Generator Atomic Absorption Spectophotometer) method was used. Wheat and wheat bran samples, two commonly used animal feeds, were collected from arsenic-contaminated areas of Faridpur district of Bangladesh. After collection, the samples were prepared by a series of steps such as, washing, drying, weighing and digestion; finally arsenic was detected by atomic absorption spectrophotometric method. Atomic absorption measures the amount of energy absorbed by the samples. The mean arsenic concentration in wheat and wheat bran were 0.11±0.008 ppm (n=24) and 0.15±0.005 ppm (n=06) respectively. In this study it was found that the level of arsenic both in wheat and wheat bran is greater than that of the maximum permissible level in drinking water (0.05 ppm, WHO). The study indicates that the feed used for animal consumption in the arsenic-contaminated areas causes serious health risk for animal and human.

Keywords: Arsenic, Wheat and wheat bran, Animal feed, Faridpur district

Location: At the Arsenic Detection and Mitigation (ADM) Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Risk Management in Agriculture

Commodity: Arsenic, Wheat

Objectives:

The present study was conducted to detect arsenic in animal feeds such as wheat and wheat bran in arsenic-contaminated areas of Sadar Upazila of Faridpur district.

Methodology:

The experiment was conducted at the Arsenic Detection and Mitigation (ADM) Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh. The experiments were designed and performed according to the methods adopted in that laboratory. Information about severely arsenic contaminated areas were obtained from secondary sources, where concentrations of arsenic exceeding 0.181 ppm were reported in few tube wells. In this study, one of the worst arsenic affected district Faridpur was selected. In Faridpur district 6 unions (Ambikapur, Aliabad, Kanaipur, Kaijuri, Krishnanagar Majchar) of sadar upazilla were selected and animal feed samples such as wheat and wheat bran were collected. All required samples were collected during the month of May (Summer season) in the years 2012. In all cases, two types of samples (wheat and wheat bran) were collected in the five days of sample collection period. A standardized personal interview of each owner was carried out based on a prearranged questionnaire. The questionnaire was pretested and finalized after incorporation of feedback. Owners were briefly questioned by visiting door-to-door during sample collection and information obtained from the interview was recorded. Questionnaire was structured including general information (area, cultivation season, harvesting season, varieties) of specific wheat and wheat bran. Information about history of water irrigation by the study subjects including water source were obtained on the basis of the questionnaire. Wheat and wheat bran used as ration of respective animals were considered for possible sources of arsenic contamination. Different varieties of wheat were considered. The wheat grain (that generally consumed by dairy cows and poultry) and wheat bran (adlibitum) were collected in zip-type bag, labeled and kept in a polyethylene bag and finally transferred to the laboratory and stored in desiccators until analysis.

Wheat samples were sun dried to reduce water percent. About 0.95-1gm sample was taken separately into digestion tube and 10 ml of 69% concentrated HNO3 and 70% of perchloric acid mixture at the ratio of 5:3 was added. The samples left to react overnight in a chemical “hood”, then heated in a block digester (M-24 plazas/samples, JP Selecta, Spain) at 120ºC until colorless clear watery fluid appears. Tubes were gently shaken several times to facilitate destroying all the carbonaceous material. This digestion converts all arsenicals to inorganic arsenic for FI-HG-AAS determination. Digestion was considered complete when production of reddish-orange fumes and foam within the tube had subsided; the solution had become 40 clear and did not bubble or react upon agitation. Tubes were removed from the digestion block, cooled, diluted to 50 mL adding Millipore water and filtered through filter paper (Whatman No. 41) and stored in 50 ml polythene bottles. The sample solution at that stage was ready for determination of its total arsenic. In each set, blank reference material were prepared following same digestion procedures.

Wheat bran samples were sun dried to reduce water percent. About 0.95-1gm sample was taken separately into digestion tube and 10 ml of 69% concentrated HNO3 and 70% of perchloric acid mixture at the ratio of 5:3 was added. The samples left to react overnight in a chemical “hood”, then heated in a block digester (M24 plazas/samples, JP Selecta, Spain) at 120ºC until colorless clear watery fluid appears. Tubes were gently shaken several times to facilitate destroying all the carbonaceous material. This digestion converts all arsenicals to inorganic arsenic for FI-HG-AAS determination. Digestion was considered complete when production of reddish-orange fumes and foam within the tube had subsided, the solution had become clear and did not bubble or react upon agitation. Tubes were removed from the digestion block, cooled, diluted to 50 mL adding Millipore water and filtered through filter paper (Whatman No. 41) and stored in 50 ml polythene bottles. The sample solution at that stage was ready for determination of its total arsenic. In each set, blank reference material were prepared following same digestion procedures.

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

It is found that the levels of arsenic in wheat and wheat bran is 2.2 times and 3 times greater than that of the permissible level of arsenic in drinking water (0.05 ppm, WHO), respectively. Interestingly wheat grain contains less arsenic than the wheat bran. Whereas, animals are mainly fed with wheat bran, which contains alarming level of arsenic in the arsenic contaminated areas of Faridpur district. As shallow tube well water is most frequently used for irrigation which is more contaminated with arsenic than deep tube well water leading to arsenic contamination in animal feed chain. Therefore, to minimize or to avoid the risk of arsenic contamination in animal, irrigation should be done with deep tube well water or with natural water such as rain water, pond and surface water. Animal should be controlled to graze in heavily contaminated areas. Instead of arsenic sensitive cultivars, arsenate tolerant cultivars of wheat can be cultivated in the arsenic-contaminated areas of our country. Arsenate tolerance and sensitivity could be due to possible differential detoxification mechanism. Moreover, phytoextraction by crop rotation can be practiced in arsenic-contaminated crop lands. Cultivation of arsenic accumulating plants/crops can be followed by cultivation of wheat or other grains. Phytoextraction is a remediation technology with apromising application for removing arsenic from soil sand waters. Cucumis sativus (cucumber) has been found to be the best arsenic accumulating plant hence the best candidate plant for phytoextraction of arsenic from soil and water. Although it was beyond the scope of present study, new innovative experiment should be designed to reduce the risk of toxic effect of arsenic in animal body by chemical and/or herbal method, such as spirulina. This is an initial study; more research in this respect should be undertaken with the objective of mitigation of arsenic problem in Bangladesh.

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