Intensification of arsenic toxicity to paddy rice by hydrogen sulfide and ferrous iron

The phytotoxicity of arsenic to paddy rice was examined by the pot culture method using Utsunomiya grey lowland soil which had received nutrient salts including ammonium sulfate with or without additional rice straw powder as a reducing agent. By treatment with 50 ppm of arsenic and straw, plant growth was retarded from the beginning of culture, and about 6 weeks later, at the middle of July, small reddish black spots emerged near the tips of expanded green leaves. The spots then increased and spread over the whole leaves resulting in bronzing and final dieback in about the mid-August. On treatment with higher concentrations of arsenic and straw, the plants were more severely injured and died through bronzing at earlier stages. All such dead plants were found to have accumulated abnormally high iron in their leaf tissues. On treatment with lower concentrations of arsenic and straw or in the case of higher arsenic without straw, plant growth and grain yield were reduced with the occurrence of partial bronzing or oranging of leaves and the iron content of the plants was somewhat increased. These results indicate that arsenic may induce ferrous iron toxicity which intensifies the toxicity of arsenic to paddy rice.