Status and Distribution of Arsenic in Alluvium Derived Soils of West Bengal and their Interrelationship with Some Soil Properties

The morphological, physico-chemical properties and arsenic status of the soils of Gotera Mouza (Block-Chakdah, District-Nadia) were studied and their interrelationship was established. Morphologically the soils did not vary greatly in different arsenic contaminated zones. Soils were mostly neutral to alkaline in reaction, low to medium in organic matter, relatively high in clay content (in surface) and medium in CEC. The ammonium oxalate extractable iron (Fe_o) was higher in the surface which decreased with depth. DCB extractable iron (Fe_d) did not follow any regular trend. Both Olsen P and sodium bicarbonate extractable As were found to be the highest in the surface layer followed by abrupt decrease down the depth. Arsenic content in soils did not show any significant relationship with the soil properties, namely pH, EC, organic matter, CEC and Fe_d, whereas it correlated well with clay, amorphous iron (Fe_o) and Olsen P.