Abstract

Pollution of the biosphere with heavy metals induced by industrial, agricultural, and domestic activities poses serious problems in the safe use of agricultural lands. Present research trends showed that Bangladesh is rapidly moving towards the concept of safe and healthy food and for that reason it is obvious to find out the amount of toxic heavy metals present in soil and cultivating plant. Hence, the present research was aimed to determine the amount of toxic heavy metals like nickel, lead and arsenic in the soil and rice seedlings collected from the experimental field located in Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), where fertilizers as well as pesticides were applied before the planting. Soil samples before applying fertilizer were also analyzed in order to see the residual amount (if any) of these metals from the cultivating season. Current study focused on the contamination of soil by heavy metals (Pb, Ni and As) by the application of fertilizer and pesticides in agricultural fields. The result showed that the pesticide and the fertilizer used in the experimental field were of good quality. Although no tolerance level for heavy metal contents in soil, rice or vegetables have published yet for Bangladesh, but it can be considered that agricultural field of BRRI, Gazipur is free from heavy metal contamination. This might be due to the fact that no industry or other sources of heavy metals are located nearby BRRI.