Arsenic in Coconut Water: A Case Study

Abstract

Coconut water samples collected from both high and low ground water arsenic contaminated area were analyzed and it was observed that concentration of arsenic varies from 0.000 to 0.170 ppm. Arsenic concentration in the coconut water of Char Bhabanathpur (Sonargaon), one of the most arsenic affected zones in Bangladesh, ranges from 0.005 to 0.170 ppm with an average value of 0.070 ppm, whereas zero or sometimes trace arsenic concentrations were observed in the coconut water of both Manikganj and Dinajpur Sadar. In our study, we notice that the concentration of arsenic in coconut water is related to the age of coconut where the concentration of arsenic increases linearly from baby coconut to matured coconut. The arsenic concentrations in soil adjacent to the coconut trees in Char Bhabanathpur area shows a positive correlation with the arsenic concentrations in coconut water but interestingly the trend does not exist in case of other two study areas. This indicates that bioaccumulation of arsenic at least in case of coconut has a strong relationship with the biogeochemistry of the relevant soil.