Arsenic research
Research undertaken at the Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment
and Remediation (CERAR) brings together a group of scientists to
investigate the cycling of arsenic from soil and water to cultivated
crops in Bangladesh and Australia.
It is now commonly recognised that the ingestion of arsenic contaminated
groundwater is a major potential cause of arsenic poisoning in
Bangladesh.
Although research in the last 5 years has focused on the
human ingestion of arsenic through the intake of contaminated
groundwater, the observation that poisoning among the population is not
always consistent with the amount of drinking water consumed has caused
researchers to consider the significance of other potential pathways of
arsenic ingestion.
Research undertaken with Australian Centre for International
Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and AusAID funding reveals significant
potential for uptake of arsenic through the consumption of vegetables.
Several vegetables crops grown in Bangladesh have been identified by
researchers at CERAR and internationally as accumulators of arsenic.
Arsenic is commonly found throughout the Australian environment and
localised arsenic contamination problems have been reported in many of
the States and Territories. The presence of arsenic in the Australian
environment is due to its mobilisation through both natural processes
and anthropogenic activities. CERAR researchers have been involved in
arsenic research at these contaminated sites for over 10 years.
While
many of the emerging environmental arsenic problems in the Asian region
may be attributed to the mobilisation of arsenic via natural processes,
environmental problems reported in Australia are also enhanced through
the mobilisation of arsenic through anthropogenic activities.
Anthropogenic sources of soil and water arsenic originate from the use
of arsenical pesticides and herbicides, mining activities, waste
disposal and timber treatment processes. CERAR scientists have
undertaken research aimed at understanding the environmental
significance of arsenic contamination at former cattle and sheep dip
sites, mine sites, and former railway corridors. Urban development in
the vicinity of many of the contaminated arsenic sites has occurred in
recent years and CERAR scientists are particularly interested in the
impacts of the contaminated sites relating to human health issues.