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California ag started late enough to avoid the concentrations of anthropogenic arsenic found in the Southeast US. Lead arsenate and calcium arsenate were promot

California ag started late enough to avoid the concentrations of anthropogenic arsenic found in the Southeast US. Lead arsenate and calcium arsenate were promoted at the time of the Dust Bowl, which didn't affect CA. as much as the midwest. Places with a heritage of cotton used arsenic for even longer. Anthropogenic arsenic is inorganic. It does not decompose, so it bioaccumulates in plants. Some varieties can be bred for arsenic resistance. Some plants collect more arsenic than others.

selimthegrim 7y ago
Better soak all that rice coming out of Arkansas.
persistent 7y ago
California irrigation faces its own problems: https://psmag.com/environment/cleaning-up-californias-three-decades-old-water-problem https://psmag.com/environment/cleaning-up-californias-three-...
- ttyprintk 7y ago
  Both selenium and arsenic are considered trace elements. Selenium much more so; most of the world's diet is selenium-poor. But selenium supplements are useful in counteractive arsenic poisoning: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23800687 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23800687
RodgerTheGreat 7y ago
What's the viability of breeding plants to concentrate as much arsenic as possible, and then spending several growing seasons extracting it from fields, collecting the plants, and disposing of them?
- Malic 7y ago
  I wondered the same. A quick Google turned up the fact, "Oh, yeah, that's been investigated and there ARE options." Chinese brake fern (Pteris vittata) seems to be a candidate: https://www.newsweek.com/plant-arsenic-chemical-highly-toxic-humans-1428988 https://www.newsweek.com/plant-arsenic-chemical-highly-toxic... Plants as Useful Vectors to Reduce Environmental Toxic Arsenic Contenthttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3913097/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3913097/ I do have to wonder if we would find ourselves inviting invasive species with such an exercise. But on the other hand, the goal is to "grow'em, burn'em, and carefully dispose of the ash" so maybe that concern is manageable.
- cmrdporcupine 7y ago
  Fungus have been looked as one option for this. They are excellent bioaccumulators.
  - ttyprintk 7y ago
    Or perhaps genetically modified fungus that emits a signature colorant proportional to its uptake of a contaminant. This would be a cheap way to screen a large area for levels of contamination.
pjc50 7y ago
Wait, people were promoting arsenic?
- TomK32 7y ago
  Same people who sold you cocaine.
- ecpottinger 7y ago
  Don't forget the lovely green wallpaper that was arsenic based.
  - cr0sh 7y ago
    It wasn't just wallpaper - virtually anything that was green in that period was done with arsenic. There was also this tragedy (arsenic included among others): https://www.racked.com/2018/3/29/17156818/19th-century-mourning-veil https://www.racked.com/2018/3/29/17156818/19th-century-mourn...
- opencl 7y ago
  Arsenic was used for damn near everything from agriculture to manufacturing until about 100 years ago. It's a very effective pesticide (it kills everything!) and there weren't a whole lot of other options back then that actually worked. https://www.chelseagreen.com/2009/the-tangled-history-of-arsenic-and-farming/ https://www.chelseagreen.com/2009/the-tangled-history-of-ars...
- jws 7y ago
  Arsenic trioxide was widely used as a herbicide. A typical application would be something like 1 pound/1000 sq feet. ( 50kg/hectare for the rest of planet earth). So dosing a field will take about as big a sack as you can carry and 250mg will kill you. Extra fun fact: I got the application rate numbers from an article about controlling weeds on golf courses. When people have a feeling about herbicides being dangerous… this is the kind of herbicide that caused it. Extra bonus fun fact: My father's grandmother used to make up a mixture of arsenic trioxide and mercury to paint around the windows to keep bugs out of the house.
- 7y ago
hinkley 7y ago
I remember someone was trying to breed a species of rice to not bioaccumulate arsenic, specifically to plant in former cotton fields.

selimthegrim 7y ago

Better soak all that rice coming out of Arkansas.

persistent 7y ago

California irrigation faces its own problems: https://psmag.com/environment/cleaning-up-californias-three-decades-old-water-problem https://psmag.com/environment/cleaning-up-californias-three-...

ttyprintk 7y ago
Both selenium and arsenic are considered trace elements. Selenium much more so; most of the world's diet is selenium-poor. But selenium supplements are useful in counteractive arsenic poisoning: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23800687 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23800687

RodgerTheGreat 7y ago

What's the viability of breeding plants to concentrate as much arsenic as possible, and then spending several growing seasons extracting it from fields, collecting the plants, and disposing of them?

Malic 7y ago
I wondered the same. A quick Google turned up the fact, "Oh, yeah, that's been investigated and there ARE options." Chinese brake fern (Pteris vittata) seems to be a candidate: https://www.newsweek.com/plant-arsenic-chemical-highly-toxic-humans-1428988 https://www.newsweek.com/plant-arsenic-chemical-highly-toxic... Plants as Useful Vectors to Reduce Environmental Toxic Arsenic Contenthttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3913097/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3913097/ I do have to wonder if we would find ourselves inviting invasive species with such an exercise. But on the other hand, the goal is to "grow'em, burn'em, and carefully dispose of the ash" so maybe that concern is manageable.
cmrdporcupine 7y ago
Fungus have been looked as one option for this. They are excellent bioaccumulators.
- ttyprintk 7y ago
  Or perhaps genetically modified fungus that emits a signature colorant proportional to its uptake of a contaminant. This would be a cheap way to screen a large area for levels of contamination.

pjc50 7y ago

Wait, people were promoting arsenic?

TomK32 7y ago
Same people who sold you cocaine.
ecpottinger 7y ago
Don't forget the lovely green wallpaper that was arsenic based.
- cr0sh 7y ago
  It wasn't just wallpaper - virtually anything that was green in that period was done with arsenic. There was also this tragedy (arsenic included among others): https://www.racked.com/2018/3/29/17156818/19th-century-mourning-veil https://www.racked.com/2018/3/29/17156818/19th-century-mourn...
opencl 7y ago
Arsenic was used for damn near everything from agriculture to manufacturing until about 100 years ago. It's a very effective pesticide (it kills everything!) and there weren't a whole lot of other options back then that actually worked. https://www.chelseagreen.com/2009/the-tangled-history-of-arsenic-and-farming/ https://www.chelseagreen.com/2009/the-tangled-history-of-ars...
jws 7y ago
Arsenic trioxide was widely used as a herbicide. A typical application would be something like 1 pound/1000 sq feet. ( 50kg/hectare for the rest of planet earth). So dosing a field will take about as big a sack as you can carry and 250mg will kill you. Extra fun fact: I got the application rate numbers from an article about controlling weeds on golf courses. When people have a feeling about herbicides being dangerous… this is the kind of herbicide that caused it. Extra bonus fun fact: My father's grandmother used to make up a mixture of arsenic trioxide and mercury to paint around the windows to keep bugs out of the house.
7y ago

hinkley 7y ago

I remember someone was trying to breed a species of rice to not bioaccumulate arsenic, specifically to plant in former cotton fields.