Concentrations of Heavy Metals and Arsenic in Market Rice Grain and Their Potential Health Risks to the Population of Fuzhou, China

Qing Long Fu, Lanhai Li*, Varenyam Achal, An Ying Jiao, Yonglin Liu

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

44 Scopus citations

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Heavy metals and As in rice are of increasing concern in China. In this study, concentrations of Pb, Cd, Cu, Cr, Sb, Ni, and As in rice collected from markets in Fuzhou, China, were investigated by ICP-MS and AFS, and their potential health risk to inhabitants were estimated by target hazard quotient (THQ), hazard index (HI), and target cancer risk (TR). The results showed that the concentrations of the seven studied elements in rice grain were all below the permissible limits of China's national standards for foodstuffs (NY/T 419–2007 and GB 2726–2012). For non-carcinogenic risk, the THQ values of individual elements were within the safe interval. However, without considering the bio-accessibility and speciation of toxic elements, the HI values suggest inhabitants in Fuzhou may experience potential health effects due to rice consumption. Cadmium is the major contributor to HI, followed by As. The TR values of As for adults and children were both higher than the acceptable range. The results of this study suggest that more attention should be paid toward monitoring toxic substances (especially Cd and As) in rice in order to assure the food safety for consumers in Fuzhou, China.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)117-128
Number of pages12
JournalHuman and Ecological Risk Assessment (HERA)
Volume21
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2 Jan 2015
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • As
  • China
  • health risk assessment
  • heavy metals
  • rice grain

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