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Arsenic concentrations were measured in water, soil and arum (vegetables) samples using the Neutron Activation Analysis method and a correlation between arsenic concentrations in the samples was investigated. The case study at Bagerhat, Bangladesh revealed that almost all the water samples were contaminated by a hazardous level of arsenic that exceeding the World Health Organization recommended value of 0.05 mg/L for Bangladesh. Arsenic concentration of all the water samples ranged from 0.09 to 0.87 mg/L. The concentrations in soil and aurum samples were found to be in the range of 2.22-35.21 and 0.07-0.73 mg/kg, respectively. A positive correlation between arsenic concentrations in soil and water samples was observed. Aurum sample was found to be contaminated by arsenic to a harmful level if the corresponding water sample was also highly contaminated.

The concentrations of arsenic (As), chromium (Cr) and iron (Fe) were determined in the foodstuffs, soils and sediments from various areas in Bangladesh and new data for these toxic trace elements were given. The arsenic pollution problems in the most of the areas of Bangladesh are of geological origin. The high level of As in foodstuffs, soils and sediments, except for tannery sediments is probably positively correlated to the Fe concentration. An excessive amount of chromium was found in the sediments from the tannery area of Bangladesh.

Arsenic contamination of ground water is well understood while other environmental systems are rarely considered to be contaminated by arsenic. A vital issue is whether or not appreciable arsenic transmits through the food chain. Reportedly, ayurvedic herbal medicine products (AHMPs) manufactured in Asia were found to be contaminated by harmful level of Arsenic. This study was aimed to quantify the arsenic levels in water, herbal and soil samples collected from the same origin using highly accurate neutron activation analysis (NAA) technique. Harmful level of arsenic was detected in most of the water and soil samples. Moreover, a considerably harmful level of Arsenic was detected in herbal samples collected from the same origin. As a result, AHMPs manufactured in Asia might be contaminated by arsenic through arsenic contaminated herb plants.