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Status of Arsenic and Selenium in Some Arsenic Hot Spots of Bangladesh and Its Relevance to Arsenicosis in Human Beings

The present work was conducted to find any relevance to the selenium (Se) content in soil, water and in an edible plant to the incidence of arsenicosis in some arsenic hotspots of the country where arsenicosis patients have been identified and where no arsenicosis patients have yet been reported. Soil, plant and water samples were collected from arsenic hot spots of five localit ies viz. Sonargaon, Manikgonj, Munshigonj, Jessore and Ishwardi. The collected plant was Arum (Colocasia esculenta) – a hyper accumulator of As and a very common edible vegetable all over the country. Soil, plant and water samples were analyzed to determine the content of arsenic and selenium in them. Analyses of soil, plant and water samples reveal that the average concentrations of As in the three niches at the locations where arsenicosis is prevalent are higher (3.56, 3.0 and 0.062 mg/kg respectively) than where the incidence of arsenicosis has not been reported (2.83, 2.66 and 0.053 mg/kg respectively). On the other hand, the Se contents showed a reverse phenomena – lower in the locations where patients are prevalent (0.082, 0.027 mg/kg and bdl respectively in three niches) than where no patients have been reported (0.156, 0.053 mg/kg and bdl respectively). The findings are suggestive of the implication of Se in alleviat ing As toxicity in human beings.