Arsenic in orchard and potato soils and plant tissue

Summary The total and water soluble arsenic contents of orchard and potato field soils are significantly higher where arsenic has been applied. Orchards with a record of past and present applications show average values as high as 99.57 ppm total arsenic and 1.99 ppm water-soluble arsenic. Orchards with a low or no arsenic application show 27.21 ppm total and 0.20 ppm water-soluble arsenic. Potato fields situated on ex-orchard plantings have an average of 38.70 ppm total and 0.32 ppm water-soluble arsenic, whereas those on non-orchard soils showed values of 9.63 and 0.04 ppm respectively. Highest soil arsenic concentrations were found in the 0–10 cm surface layer and at a distance of one meter from the tree trunk. In plant tissue the apple leaf, peel and pulp all were significantly higher for recently arsenic treated orchards, while only the apple pulp showed significance where applications had been discontinued for the past 10–15 years. Potato leaf and peel were significantly higher in arsenic on exorchard soil while the pulp was not.