A study of arsenic speciation in soil, irrigation water and plant tissue: A case study of the broad bean plant, Vicia faba

Samples of soil, the broad bean plant, Vicia faba and irrigation water were collected from the same agricultural site in Dokan, in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Total arsenic and arsenic speciation were determined in all materials by ICP-MS and HPLC-ICP-MS, respectively. Available arsenic (11%) was also determined within the soil, together with Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, Fe and Mn. The concentrations of total arsenic were: soil (5.32 μg g−1), irrigation water (1.06 μg L−1), roots (2.065 μg g−1) and bean (0.133 μg g−1). Stems, leaves and pods were also measured. Inorganic AsV dominated soil (90%) and root (78%) samples. However, organo-arsenic (MMA, 48% and DMA, 19%) was the more dominant species in the edible bean. The study provides an insight into the uptake, preferred disposal route, speciation changes and loss mechanism involved for arsenic with this food source.