Assessment of arsenic content in water and soils of arsenic affected villages of Ambagarh Chowki block

Samples of water and soil were collected and analyzed for arsenic content from ten arsenic contaminated villages viz. Kaudikasa, Joratarai, Atergaon, Biharikala, Arajkund, Jadutola, Magatola, Sangli, Telitola, and Sonsaytola of block Ambagarh Chowki, district Rajnandgaon. The As content in different samples of water sources viz. Hand Pumps for drinking purpose, was ranged 0.03 to 0.75 mg L-1 with mean value of 0.32 mg L-1 found much above the (WHO) [1] recommended As limit (0.01 mg L-1 for drinking water). The concentration of arsenic in tube well and pond water for irrigation purpose were also varied 0.08 to 0.49 and 0.01 to 0.29 mg L-1, with the mean value of 0.29 and 0.09 mg L-1, respectively. Among all the tube well samples only one sample of village Atargaon-2 (0.08 mg L-1) was found under the permissible limit (0.10 mg L-1, FAO, 1985) [2] for irrigation purpose. The concentration of arsenic in pond water (0.09 mg L-1) was lower than the tube well water (0.29 mg L-1) in affected villages of Ambagarh Chowki. The As distribution in the three soil orders namely Vertisols, Alfisols and Inceptisols was varied over the ten villages were ranges 2.05-8.48 mg kg-1. All the soil orders were recognized under the permissible limits given by FAO (50 mg kg-1). The maximum concentration 8.48 mg kg-1 of arsenic was recorded in village Kaudikasa-1 and the minimum 2.05 mg kg-1 in village Arajkund-1.