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Distribution and accumulation of mercury in pot-grown African rice cultivars (Oryza glaberrima Steud. and Oryza sativa L.) determined via LA-ICP-MS

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Abstract

There is limited information concerning the distribution of mercury in rice, particularly in African rice. The objective was to compare the distribution of total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in African rice (Oryza glaberrima Steud.) and Asian rice (O. sativa L.). It is hypothesized that increased mineral accumulation and greater stress tolerance in O. glaberrima will affect the uptake and distribution of THg and MeHg, compared to O. sativa. Rice varieties from the Republic of Mali, including O. glaberrima (n =1) and O. sativa (n = 2), were cultivated in a greenhouse, in mercury-spiked soil (50 mg/kg) (n =3 replicates/variety). THg and MeHg concentrations were analyzed in the grain (brown rice), and the THg distribution was analyzed using laser ablation inductively coupled-plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). THg and MeHg concentrations did not differ between O. glaberrima and O. sativa grain. However, in both O. sativa varieties, THg was highly concentrated in the scutellum, which surrounds the embryo and is removed during polishing. Conversely, in O. glaberrima grain, THg was widely distributed throughout the endosperm, the edible portion of the grain. Differences in the THg distribution in O. glaberrima grain, compared to O. sativa, may elevate the risk of mercury exposure through ingestion of polished rice. The novelty of this study includes the investigation of a less-studied rice species (O. glaberrima), the use of a highly sensitive elemental imaging technique (LA-ICP-MS), and its finding of a different grain THg distribution in O. glaberrima than has been observed in O. sativa.

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Funding

TP, BJ, and the Dartmouth Trace Element Analysis Core were funded in part by the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (grant number P42 ES007373). BJ was funded in part by the US National Cancer Institute (Cancer Center Support Grant, number 5P30 CA023108-41).

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  1. Sarah E. Rothenberg

    Present address: College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, 103 Milam Hall, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, 03755, USA

    Tracy Punshon & Brian P. Jackson

  2. University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health, Columbia, South Carolina, 29208, USA

    Alexis Donohue, Chuan Hong & Sarah E. Rothenberg

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SR, TP, and BJ designed and conceived of the study, acquired and analyzed the data, and wrote and revised the manuscript. AD and CH assisted with data collection. All authors reviewed and approved the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Sarah E. Rothenberg.

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Punshon, T., Jackson, B.P., Donohue, A. et al. Distribution and accumulation of mercury in pot-grown African rice cultivars (Oryza glaberrima Steud. and Oryza sativa L.) determined via LA-ICP-MS. Environ Geochem Health 44, 4077–4089 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-021-01169-6

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