Arsenic Accumulation in Two Vegetables Grown in Soils Amended with Arsenic-Bearing Chicken Manures

Abstract

The use of organoarsenic roxarsone as a feed additive, which is widely used as a growth promoter in animal production, has caused concern over potential negative environmental impacts. A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the growth and arsenic (As) uptake of pakchoi cabbage and tomatoes grown in a gray Fluvo-aquic soil amended with 2% As-bearing chicken manures to which 50 mg kg⁻¹ and 80 mg kg⁻¹ roxarsone were added, respectively. Arsenic accumulation factors of pakchoi cabbage were significantly greater than those of shoots of tomato. The biomass, As content, and As accumulation factors of both vegetables showed significant differences with species. The correlations between As contents and biomass of the vegetables were positive in pakchoi cabbage and negative in tomato. Arsenic accumulation was apparent in pakchoi cabbage; therefore, crop species with a potential to accumulate As, such as pakchoi cabbage, should be avoided when fertilizing with As-polluted manures due to food safety concerns.

Keywords:

• As accumulation
• chicken manure
• pakchoi cabbage
• roxarsone
• tomato

Acknowledgment

This work was financed by the National Science Foundation of College and University in Jiangshu Province Award No. 06KJB230128.