Arsenic in Bangladesh: Rice Field Hydraulics

Field characterization supports previous modeling studies that have shown the importance of bunds for irrigation return flow. The low permeability plow-pan may not extend beneath bunds that are rarely plowed because they follow property boundaries. Thus, bunds provide vertical conduits through the plow-pan for both water infiltration, and possibly gas exchange. We have installed a network of sensors in a rice field to investigate the effects of rice-cultivation on the arsenic content of the soil. This rice field is irrigated by groundwater with high concentrations of arsenic.