Translocation of Soil Arsenic towards Accumulation in Rice: Magnitude of Water Management to Minimize Health Risk

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

This paper studied the translocation of soil arsenic towards accumulation in rice and evaluated the magnitude of water management, alternate wetting and drying (AWD) and continuous flooding (CF), to health risk. After reviewing the manuscript thoroughly, I recommend that it could be accepted for the publication after making several improvements and corrections. The subject is interesting and material is well managed. I would like to propose the following recommendations:

1. In Table 2, Table 3 and Table 4, there are total 11 treatments which are divided to three groups. The first group includes T1,T2 and T3; the second group includes I1 and I2; the third group includes T1I1, T2I1, T3I1, T1I2, T2I2 and T3I2. I am quite confused with group 1 and group 2. What are the irrigation style for group 1 and the As concentration for group 2? If there is the specific irrigation style (suppose I1 ) for group 1, these three treatments should be as same as those in group 3 ( T1I1, T2I1, T3I1). I didn’t find the explanation of difference between group 1 and group 3. I highly suggest the author must make the experiment design clear in  the section 2.2.   
2. There is a big mistake in paper: the Table 5 was missed!!!
3. Suggest the author adds the As background value in Table 1
4. In paper, there are a lot of the description about the experimental phenomena and  results, comparatively lacking the deep analysis of mechanism. Could author improve the relative analysis to highlight your innovation or difference between other researches?   

Author Response

Reviewer-1

Comment:

In Table 2, Table 3 and Table 4, there are total 11 treatments which are divided to three groups. The first group includes T1,T2 and T3; the second group includes I1 and I2; the third group includes T1I1, T2I1, T3I1, T1I2, T2I2 and T3I2. I am quite confused with group 1 and group 2. What are the irrigation style for group 1 and the As concentration for group 2? If there is the specific irrigation style (suppose I1 ) for group 1, these three treatments should be as same as those in group 3 ( T1I1, T2I1, T3I1). I didn’t find the explanation of difference between group 1 and group 3. I highly suggest the author must make the experiment design clear in  the section 2.2.   

Response:

Thanks for your comments. In the experimental tables 2, 3 and 4,

Group 1 of treatments represents the main effect of soil As levels (0, 20 and 40 mg kg^-1 As) considering both irrigation practices (continuous flooding and alternate wetting and drying). In the tables, it was mentioned as T.

Group 2 represents the main effect of water regimes (continuous flooding and alternate wetting and drying) considering all soil As levels. In the tables, it was mentioned as I.

Group 3 represents the interaction effect of both group 1 and group 2. In the tables, it was mentioned as T × I.

We tried to clarify the experimental design in section 2.2. Please see Lines 137-144.

Comment:

There is a big mistake in paper: the Table 5 was missed!!!

Response:

We are sorry for the mistake. Table 5 has been added in the paper.

Comment:

Suggest the author adds the As background value in Table 1

Response:

Background As has been added in Table 1.

Comment:

In paper, there are a lot of the description about the experimental phenomena and results, comparatively lacking the deep analysis of mechanism. Could author improve the relative analysis to highlight your innovation or difference between other researches? 

Response:

Mechanisms related to experimental results have been added in the discussion section. To highlight innovation, introduction section was improved. Please see Lines 414-421 and 435-438.

Reviewer 2 Report

The manuscript “water-1387863” aims to investigate the impact of soil containing arsenic as well as irrigation management type on rice growth, yield, As accumulation and finally health risks to human from consuming rice.

The topic of manuscript appears interesting and the applied methodologies are well described. However, it is not clear what is it the novelty of the manuscript respect to existing literature as well as the new findings. These concepts should be written better for the reader's clarity and the introduction should be improved to highlight this aspect.

I believe the manuscript should be published only after a major revision.

General comments

Please clarify the novelty of the performed experiments respect to previous works into the abstract, introduction section and in the sections you consider most appropriate.

Improve the introduction section concerning the use of different water management practices and treatments of As-rich water for drinking and irrigation purposes. The authors can take inspiration from these papers:

Iqbal, A. B., Rahman, M. M., Mondal, D. R., Khandaker, N. R., Khan, H. M., Ahsan, G. U., ... & Hossain, M. M. (2020). Assessment of Bangladesh groundwater for drinking and irrigation using weighted overlay analysis. Groundwater for sustainable development, 10, 100312.

Shrivastava, A., Barla, A., Majumdar, A., Singh, S., & Bose, S. (2020). Arsenic mitigation in rice grain loading via alternative irrigation by proposed water management practices. Chemosphere, 238, 124988.

Figoli, A., Fuoco, I., Apollaro, C., Chabane, M., Mancuso, R., Gabriele, B., ... & Criscuoli, A. (2020). Arsenic-contaminated groundwaters remediation by nanofiltration. Separation and Purification Technology, 238, 116461.

Specific Comments (P = page#/R = row#):

P1/R 2

“Soil As” means “Soils containing As”? Please evaluate if “Soil As” is an appropriate word or if it is needed change it throughout the text.

P2/R 72-74

“Recent studies have linked As exposure from rice to risks of hypertension and cancer in As-affected populations in  Bihar and England and Wales [23,24] as well as cancers [25]”

Please rewrite the sentence.

P2/R 79

A more detailed description of the sampling site should be inserted.

P5/R 172

What is it “soil A”?

Please correct the sentence.

P10/ R 330

“The impacts of several water regimes; AWD and CF at different soil levels were 329 investigated in this study. Boro rice (BRRI dhan28), a common type in Bangladesh, was tested for contamination”

Please rewrite the sentence. It is not clear.

P12

Add the following works in the references list:

Iqbal, A. B., Rahman, M. M., Mondal, D. R., Khandaker, N. R., Khan, H. M., Ahsan, G. U., ... & Hossain, M. M. (2020). Assessment of Bangladesh groundwater for drinking and irrigation using weighted overlay analysis. Groundwater for sustainable development, 10, 100312.

Shrivastava, A., Barla, A., Majumdar, A., Singh, S., & Bose, S. (2020). Arsenic mitigation in rice grain loading via alternative irrigation by proposed water management practices. Chemosphere, 238, 124988.

Figoli, A., Fuoco, I., Apollaro, C., Chabane, M., Mancuso, R., Gabriele, B., ... & Criscuoli, A. (2020). Arsenic-contaminated groundwaters remediation by nanofiltration. Separation and Purification Technology, 238, 116461.

NOTE:

• A spell check in all text is required
• English should be reviewed by a native speaker

Author Response

Reviewer-2

General comments

Comment:

Please clarify the novelty of the performed experiments respect to previous works into the abstract, introduction section and in the sections you consider most appropriate. Improve the introduction section concerning the use of different water management practices and treatments of As-rich water for drinking and irrigation purposes. The authors can take inspiration from these papers: Iqbal et al (2020); Shrivastava et al (2020) and Figoli et al (2020).

Response:

Novelty of the research has been highlighted in the abstract, introduction and conclusion section.

Introduction has been improved as per your suggestions with the information of several articles including the above three [Iqbal et al (2020); Shrivastava et al (2020) and Figoli et al (2020)]. Please see Lines 23-24, 57-60, 89-96, 74-77, 112-115 and 473-476,

Specific comments

Comment:

P1/R 2

“Soil As” means “Soils containing As”? Please evaluate if “Soil As” is an appropriate word or if it is needed change it throughout the text.

Response:

In the text, “Soil As” means “Soil containing As”. “Soil As” is appropriate here.

Comment:

P2/R 72-74

“Recent studies have linked As exposure from rice to risks of hypertension and cancer in As-affected populations in  Bihar and England and Wales [23,24] as well as cancers [25]”

Please rewrite the sentence.

Response:

The sentence “Recent studies have linked As exposure from rice to risks of hypertension and cancer in As-affected populations in  Bihar and England and Wales [23,24] as well as cancers [25]” has been replaced with ‘Recent studies have linked As exposure from rice to risks of hypertension and cancer in As-affected populations in Bihar, and England and Wales [33,34] as well as in Beijing [35]. Please see Line 110-112.

Comment:

P2/R 79

A more detailed description of the sampling site should be inserted.

Response:

Detailed description of sampling site has been inserted. Please see Lines 122-129.

Comment:

P5/R 172

What is it “soil A”?

Please correct the sentence.

Response:

Sorry for the mistake. “soil A”has been corrected with “soil As”. Please see Line 231.

Comment:

P10/ R 330

“The impacts of several water regimes; AWD and CF at different soil levels were 329 investigated in this study. Boro rice (BRRI dhan28), a common type in Bangladesh, was tested for contamination”

Please rewrite the sentence. It is not clear.

Response:

The sentence “The impacts of several water regimes; AWD and CF at different soil levels were 329 investigated in this study. Boro rice (BRRI dhan28), a common type in Bangladesh, was tested for contamination” has been written as “The impacts of several water regimes; AWD and CF at different soil As levels and associated human health risks were investigated in this study. Boro rice (BRRI dhan28), a common cultivar in Bangladesh, was tested for soil As contamination in combination with water management”. Please see Line 394-397.

Comment:

P12

Add the following works in the references list:

Iqbal, A. B., Rahman, M. M., Mondal, D. R., Khandaker, N. R., Khan, H. M., Ahsan, G. U., ... & Hossain, M. M. (2020). Assessment of Bangladesh groundwater for drinking and irrigation using weighted overlay analysis. Groundwater for sustainable development, 10, 100312.

Shrivastava, A., Barla, A., Majumdar, A., Singh, S., & Bose, S. (2020). Arsenic mitigation in rice grain loading via alternative irrigation by proposed water management practices. Chemosphere, 238, 124988.

Figoli, A., Fuoco, I., Apollaro, C., Chabane, M., Mancuso, R., Gabriele, B., ... & Criscuoli, A. (2020). Arsenic-contaminated groundwaters remediation by nanofiltration. Separation and Purification Technology, 238, 116461.

Response:

Thanks for your suggestions. The above mentioned references have been added both in the text and reference list. Please see Line 57-60, 89-96 and 74-77.

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

it is ok!