Arsenic (As) accumulation in rice plant from arsenic contaminated groundwater has now become an emerging global concern. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the accumulation pattern of As in different parts of rice plants grown in an As affected area of in order to the make appropriate and safe selection of suitable rice varieties to be cultivated in the As affected areas. The study was conducted by collecting twelve different varieties of rice and soil samples from four arsenic affected villages of Purbasthali II block, West Bengal, India. The soil As level varies between 5.88 and 71.33 mg/kg and soil enzyme activity was recorded 0.215–0.724 µg/24 h/kg soil of amylase, 0.187–4.598 µg/24 h/kg soil of invertase, and 0.103–4.406 µg/24 h/kg soil of cellulose and these activators of soil enzymes were also observed to be affected by arsenic. The highest arsenic accumulation was recorded in root, shoot and leaf of the variety R6 (Voganti) and in rice husk and grain of theR11 (Nayanmoni) and R1 (Miniket), respectively. The overall accumulation pattern of arsenic in different parts of rice plants were in the order of root > shoot > leave > rice husk > rice grain. However, arsenic accumulation varied widely in different cultivars. The mean value of arsenic in rice grain was recorded < 1.0 mg/kg, which was much closer to FAO/WHO prescribed safe limit (1.1 ppm by weight according to FAO, 2019). Our study can be concluded by suggesting varieties like R4 (Miniket) and R8 (Sada Sorno) can be safely cultivated in the As affected areas. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to the International Society of Paddy and Water Environment Engineering 2025.
