Influence of Soil Characteristics and As, Cd, and Pb Contamination on their Accumulation Levels in Rice and Human Health Risk Through Intake of Rice Grown Nearby Abandoned Mines

Abstract

Transfer ability of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) from soil to polished rice, the influence of soil characteristics, and contamination on As, Cd, and Pb contents in rice and potential health risk were investigated through intake of polished rice grown in nearby abandoned mines. Transfer factors (TFs) of As, Cd, and Pb from soil to polished rice were evaluated based on the total and HCl-extractable concentration of As, Cd, and Pb in soil. Regression analysis was used to predict the relationship of soil properties, and total and HCl-extractable As, Cd, and Pb concentrations in rice and human health risk through the rice consumption. The results showed that As, Cd, and Pb contents in polished rice and human health risk through rice intake were more influenced by HCl-extractable concentrations of As, Cd, and Pb in soil than by total concentration. The contents of As, Cd, and Pb in polished rice showed the negative relationship with soil pH and positive relationship with soil organic matter and cation exchangeable capacity (CEC). As content in polished rice was significantly and positively correlated with total and HCl-extractable As concentration in soil. Same results were observed for the relationship between total and HClextractable As concentration in soil and cancer risk probability (R) as well as hazard quotient (HQ) from As exposure. This demonstrates that human health risk from As exposure could be well predicted by both of total and HCl-extractable As concentrations in soil.