Cadmium and arsenic concentrations in Sri Lankan rice and their potential health risks

E M R K B Edirisinghe,B K K K Jinadasa

doi:10.4038/cjs.v49i3.7774

Abstract

Arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) concentrations have been analysed in locally grown rice grains from North Central Province, Sri Lanka. Totally, 186 samples including newly improved and traditional varieties were collected during September-December 2016, and As and Cd concentrations were determined by electrothermal atomic absorption spectroscopy. The potential health risks were estimated by three indices namely Estimated Daily Intake, Target Hazard Quotient, and Cancer Risk. The values of As and Cd varied from 1 in children was higher than the threshold value. The cancer risk of inorganic arsenic was also higher than the acceptable range for both children and adults, but children are more exposed to both elements than adults.

Highlights

In Sri Lanka, rice is the most important staple food item, accounting for 39 % of total dietary energy supply
Meharg et al, (2013) studied the variation of Cd in rice and human exposure in 12 countries and found that Sri Lankan populations were exposed to high weekly Cd intake from rice, which is close to or exceeds the Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI) value of 2.5 μg/kg published by the Joint Expert Committee for Food Additives (JECFA) of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) (EFSA, 2011)
The Limit of Detection (LOD) was established through the 3ϭ criterion (ϭ is the standard deviation of 11 measurements of blank), while the Limit of Quantification (LOQ) was established through the 10 ϭ criterion

Summary

Introduction

In Sri Lanka, rice is the most important staple food item, accounting for 39 % of total dietary energy supply. The consumption of contaminated food is a major pathway to exposure of contaminants like cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) for humans (Hensawang and Chanpiwat, 2017). According to data from the World Bank (WB) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Sri Lanka is among the top 10 countries with the highest per capita rice consumption at 105 kg/year or about 300 g/day (Hu et al, 2016). Meharg et al, (2013) studied the variation of Cd in rice and human exposure in 12 countries and found that Sri Lankan populations were exposed to high weekly Cd intake from rice, which is close to or exceeds the Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI) value of 2.5 μg/kg published by the Joint Expert Committee for Food Additives (JECFA) of the FAO and World Health Organization (WHO) (EFSA, 2011).

Objectives

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Conclusion