Contamination of rice (Oryza sativa L) with Cadmium and Arsenic by irrigation with the Bogota River water in rice soils of the Lower Basin

In this study, field and greenhouse experiments were simultaneously carried out with rice (oryza sativa l., variedad oryzica-1) in soils of the Bogota River lower basin (Los Manueles Series, a member of the clayed, mixed, isohipertermic family of the Fluventic Vertic Haplustepts) to evaluate the effect of Cd and As content of the irrigation waters (of the Bogota River and greenhouse) on soils and: 1) rice growth physiological parameters; 2) Cd and As accumulated in different parts of rice plants; 3) yields and other aspects and properties of rice crop. The results lead to the following conclusions: 1) The Cd and As content of the Bogota River water, increased during the driest months and was minimum in those with the highest precipitation; Cd and As concentrations in both seasons surpassed the maximum permissible limits. 2) Rice height was highest when irrigation water does have neither Cd nor As. Effects of both elements showed an inverse lineal tendency. 3) The gradual increase of Cd in irrigation water reduced in 12.5% the number of grains per panicle; the increase of As induced a 10% reduction. 4) The highest concentration of Cd and As in irrigation waters significantly reduced yields; maximum yields l were obtained when Cd and As were absent from irrigation waters. 5) For any concentration of As in irrigation water the highest concentration of Cd was accumulated in rice leafs when concentration of Cd 2 was 2mg/l; above this value Cd accumulation in leafs el decreased with the gradual increase of As concentration. 6) Cd and As accumulated in rice grains increased with the gradual increment of both elements in the irrigation waters; Cd and As accumulated were respectively 50 and 15 times higher than the maximum critical levels proposed for rice grains. 7) Cd and As accumulated progressively on soils with gradual increase of both elements in irrigation waters 8) Cd and As concentration in irrigation waters apparently does not affect the rice mill behavior