Rajith Perera

@inproceedings{Sakunthala2024,

title = {Statistical Assessment of Toxic Metal Concentrations and its Correlations in Paddy Soils: Comparing the Impact of Chemical and Organic Agricultural Practices in Sri Lanka},

author = {KADD Sakunthala and PLRA Perera and WPRT Perera and JA Liyanage and WAPJ Premaratne},

url = {https://www.researchgate.net/publication/379311099_Statistical_Assessment_of_Toxic_Metal_Concentrations_and_its_Correlations_in_Paddy_Soils_Comparing_the_Impact_of_Chemical_and_Organic_Agricultural_Practices_in_Sri_Lanka



},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-03-01},

volume = {2},

issue = {2024},

pages = {61},

publisher = {International Research Symposium on Multidisciplinary Approaches in Indigenous Knowledge Systems - IRSIKS },

address = {Gampaha Wickramarachchi University of Indigenous Medicine, Sri Lanka},

organization = {Gampaha Wickramarachchi University of Indigenous Medicine},

abstract = {Background / Originality Evaluating the impact of chemical and organic farming practices on soil toxic metal concentrations is crucial for soil profiling in agroecosystems. Objective This study analyzed heavy metal concentrations within soil samples obtained from paddy fields in the Anamaduwa Divisional Secretariat region. Methodology Paddy soil samples were collected from a chemically fertilized field and an organically cultivated field. Employing a random stratified sampling methodology, twenty composite topsoil specimens were gathered from each paddy field. Toxic heavy metal (Cr, Ni, Pb, As, Cd) concentrations were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The resultant data were further analyzed using the ANOVA test followed by Tukey's pairwise comparison to determine statistically significant variations among the parameters. Furthermore, Pearson correlation analysis was applied. Findings Soil samples from chemically fertilized fields exhibited notably elevated concentrations of Cr (20.09±4.91 mg/kg), Ni (8.58±2.51 mg/kg), Pb (7.15±1.57 mg/kg), and As (0.87±0.17 mg/kg). In contrast, the soil samples from fields that were organically farmed revealed significantly lower mean concentrations of Cr (12.19±3.72 mg/kg), Ni (2.72±1.58 mg/kg), Pb (2.84±1.06 mg/kg), and As (0.49±0.18 mg/kg). The ANOVA test revealed significant differences in pH, conductivity, ammonium nitrogen, potassium, and ash content, and a notable variance in the mean concentrations of Ni, As, and Cr in organic versus chemically fertilized soils (p<0.05) while organic matter and phosphate content showed no significant differences. In the chemically fertilized field, Pearson correlations indicated a strong positive correlation between potassium and heavy metals (Pb, Cr, As, Ni) (r>0.5, p<0.05). Particularly, As showed strong correlation with Cr (r=0.912, p<0.01) and Ni (r=0.862, p<0.01), while the organic field displayed moderate correlations between As and both Cr (r=0.703, p<0.05) and Ni (r=0.779, p<0.01). Cr and Ni showed significant positive correlations (r=0.911, p<0.01) in both fields. Conclusions This suggests that organic farming practices significantly affect soil heavy metal content, leading to reduced levels of these metals. Furthermore, the positive correlations observed between potassium and heavy metals as well as among heavy metals itself emphasize a common origin among them.},

keywords = {Fertilizer, Organic Farming, paddy soil, Toxic Metals},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {inproceedings}

}