The Effects of Arsenic on Crop Production

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There have been multiple studies completed on the effects of arsenic on the production of crops, not just in Nepal. One study focuses on the effects of arsenic on rice crops (Kumar Das, 2007). When zinc and correctly decomposed manure were involved, they had an effect on arsenic levels in the soil, and the rice plants intake of arsenic (Kumar Das, 2007). The results showed that when there was a high concentration of arsenic in the soil, 300mg/kg, the rice plant was more susceptible to dying (Kumar Das, 2007).

The problem with arsenic is more importantly the way in which different plants uptake, translocate and bio-magnify arsenic (Chakraborty, 2014). This toxin accesses the plant through its roots, affecting the plants health. (Rosas-Castor, 2014). Arsenic also has the ability to contaminate groundwater as well as crops (Kumar Das, 2007). Irrigation is the dominant method in agriculture for controlling water in 5% of the mountain region, 26% of the hills region and 69% of the terai region in Nepal is irrigated land (Chakraborty, 2014). However, 60% of irrigation in Nepal is done by groundwater, where majority of arsenic builds up (Chakraborty, 2014).