Detection of arsenic in water, herbal and soil samples by neutron activation analysis technique.
Arsenic contamination of ground water is well understood while other environmental systems are rarely considered to be contaminated by arsenic. A vital issue is whether or not appreciable arsenic transmits through the food chain. Reportedly, ayurvedic herbal medicine products (AHMPs) manufactured in Asia were found to be contaminated by harmful level of Arsenic. This study was aimed to quantify the arsenic levels in water, herbal and soil samples collected from the same origin using highly accurate neutron activation analysis (NAA) technique. Harmful level of arsenic was detected in most of the water and soil samples. Moreover, a considerably harmful level of Arsenic was detected in herbal samples collected from the same origin. As a result, AHMPs manufactured in Asia might be contaminated by arsenic through arsenic contaminated herb plants.
Islam
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MT
School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia. m.islam3@pgrad.unimelb.edu.au
Islam
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Latif
S A
SA
D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis*; D001459:Bangladesh; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards; D008515:Medicine, Ayurvedic; D009501:Neutron Activation Analysis; D018649:Ocimum basilicum / Q000737:chemistry*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis*; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D012987:Soil; D001151:Arsenic