Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Arsenic speciation in rice and risk assessment of inorganic arsenic in Taiwan population

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study assessed the total arsenic content and arsenic speciation in rice to determine the health risks associated with rice consumption in various age–gender subgroups in Taiwan. The average total arsenic levels in white rice and brown rice were 116.6 ± 39.2 and 215.5 ± 63.5 ng/g weight (n = 51 and 13), respectively. The cumulative cancer risk among males was 10.4/100,000. The highest fraction of inorganic/total arsenic content in white rice ranged from 76.9 to 88.2 % and from 81.0 to 96.5 % in brown rice. The current study found different arsenic speciation of rice in southern Taiwan, where the famous blackfoot disease has been reported compared with arsenic speciation from other Taiwan areas. Therefore, rice and other grains should be further monitored in southern Taiwan to evaluate whether arsenic contamination is well controlled in this area.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adomako EE, Williams PN, Deacon C, Meharg AA (2011) Inorganic arsenic and trace elements in Ghanaian grain staples. Environ Pollut 159:2435–2442

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Batista BL, Souza JMO, De Souza SS, Barbosa F Jr (2011) Speciation of arsenic in rice and estimation of daily intake of different arsenic species by Brazilians through rice consumption. J Hazard Mat 191:342–348

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bundschuh J, Nath B, Bhattacharya P, Liu CW, Armienta MA, Moreno Lópezg MV, Lopez DL, Jean JS, Cornejo L, Lauer Macedo LF, Filho AT (2012) Arsenic in the human food chain: the Latin American perspective. Sci Total Environ 429:92–106

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brown JP, Fan AM (1994) Arsenic: risk assessment for California drinking water standards. J Hazard Mat 39:149–159

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carbonell-Barrachina ÁA, Wu X, Ramírez-Gandolfo A, Norton GJ, Burló F, Deacon C, Meharg AA (2012) Inorganic arsenic contents in rice-based infant foods from Spain, UK, China and USA. Environ Pollut 163:77–83

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen CJ, Wang SL, Chiou JM, Tseng CH, Chiou HY, Hsueh YM, Chen SY, Wu MM, Lai MS (2007) Arsenic and diabetes and hypertension in human populations: a review. Toxicol Appl Pharm 222:298–304

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen SM, Arnold LL (2006) Methylated arsenicals: the implications of metabolism and carcinogenicity studies in rodents to human risk assessment. Crit Rev Toxicol 36:99–133

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • FAO/WHO (2010) Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). Seventy-second meeting, Rome

    Google Scholar 

  • Fu Y, Chen M, Bi X, He Y, Ren L, Xiang W, Qiao S, Yan S, Li Z, Ma Z (2011) Occurrence of arsenic in brown rice and its relationship to soil properties from Hainan Island. China Environ Pollut 159:1757–1762

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hite AH (2013) Arsenic and rice: a call for regulation. Nutrition 29:353–354

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hsu WM, Hsi HC, Huang YT, Liao CS, Hseu ZY (2012) Partitioning of arsenic in soil–crop systems irrigated using groundwater: a case study of rice paddy soils in southwestern Taiwan. Chemosphere 86:606–613

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huang JH, Fecher P, Ilgen G, Hu KN, Yang J (2012) Speciation of arsenite and arsenate in rice grain—verification of nitric acid based extraction method and mass sample survey. Food Chem 130:453–459

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee JS, Lee SW, Chon HT, Kim KW (2008) Evaluation of human exposure to arsenic due to rice ingestion in the vicinity of abandoned Myungbong Au–Ag mine site, Korea. J Geochemical Explor 96:231–235

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li G, Sun GX, Williams PN, Nunes L, Zhu YG (2011) Inorganic arsenic in Chinese food and its cancer risk. Environ Int 37:1219–1225

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liang CP, Liu CW, Jang CS, Wang SW, Lee JJ (2011) Assessing and managing the health risk due to ingestion of inorganic arsenic from fish and shellfish farmed in blackfoot disease areas for general Taiwanese. J Hazard Mat 186:622–628

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liao CY, Peng CY, Wang HC, Kang HY, Paul Wang H (2011) Extraction of arsenic from a soil in the blackfoot disease endemic area with ionic liquids. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers. Detect Asso Equip 652:925–927

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lin HT, Wong SS, Li GC (2004) Heavy metal content of rice and shellfish in Taiwan. J Food Drug Ana 12:167–174

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lu KL, Liu CW, Wang SW, Jang CS, Lin KH, Liao VHC, Liao CM, Chang FJ (2011) Assessing the characteristics of groundwater quality of arsenic contaminated aquifers in the blackfoot disease endemic area. J Hazard Mat 185:1458–1466

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meharg AA, Sun G, Williams PN, Adomako E, Deacon C, Zhu YG, Feldmann J, Raab A (2008) Inorganic arsenic levels in baby rice are of concern. Environ Pollut 152:746–749

  • Mihucz VG, Tatár E, Virág I, Zang C, Jao Y, Záray G (2007) Arsenic removal from rice by washing and cooking with water. Food Chem 105:1718–1725

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Narukawa T, Inagaki K, Kuroiwa T, Chiba K (2008) The extraction and speciation of arsenic in rice flour by HPLC-ICP-MS. Talanta 77:427–432

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • O’Neill A, Phillips DH, Kok S, Chea E, Seng B, Sen Gupta B (2013) Arsenic in groundwater and its influence on exposure risks through traditionally cooked rice in Prey Vêng Province. Cambodia J Hazard Mat 262:1072–1079

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ohno K, Yanase T, Matsuo Y, Kimura T, Hamidur Rahman M, Magara Y, Matsui Y (2007) Arsenic intake via water and food by a population living in an arsenic-affected area of Bangladesh. Sci Total Environ 381:68–76

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Phan K, Phan S, Heng S, Huoy L, Kim K-W (2014) Assessing arsenic intake from groundwater and rice by residents in Prey Veng province, Cambodia. Environ Pollut 185:84–89

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Phan K, Sthiannopkao S, Heng S, Phan S, Huoy L, Wong MH, Kim KW (2013) Arsenic contamination in the food chain and its risk assessment of populations residing in the Mekong River basin of Cambodia. J Hazard Mat 262:1064–1071

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Qian Y, Chen C, Zhang Q, Li Y, Chen Z, Li M (2010) Concentrations of cadmium, lead, mercury and arsenic in Chinese market milled rice and associated population health risk. Food Cont 21:1757–1763

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rahman MA, Hasegawa H, Rahman MA, Rahman MM, Miah MAM (2006) Influence of cooking method on arsenic retention in cooked rice related to dietary exposure. Sci Total Environ 370:51–60

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rahman MA, Hasegawa H, Rahman MM, Mazid Miah MA, Tasmin A (2008) Arsenic accumulation in rice (Sativa LO): human exposure through food chain. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 69:317–324

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rahman MA, Rahman IMM, Hasegawa H (2011) Cooking: effects on dietary exposure to arsenic from rice and vegetables. Encyclopedia Environ Health 6:828–833

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rintala EM, Ekholm P, Koivisto P, Peltonen K, Venäläinen ER (2014) The intake of inorganic arsenic from long grain rice and rice-based baby food in Finland—low safety margin warrants follow up. Food Chem 150:199–205

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Santra SC, Samal AC, Bhattacharya P, Banerjee S, Biswas A, Majumdar J (2013) Arsenic in food chain and community health risk: a study in Gangetic West Bengal. Procedia Environ Sci 18:2–13

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sanz E, Muñoz-Olivas R, Cámara C, Sengupta MK, Ahamed S (2007) Arsenic speciation in rice, straw, soil, hair and nails samples from the arsenic-affected areas of Middle and Lower Ganga plain. J Environ Sci Health A Tox Hazard Subst Environ Eng 42:1695–1705

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sengupta MK, Hossain MA, Mukherjee A, Ahamed S, Das B, Nayak B, Pal A, Chakraborti D (2006) Arsenic burden of cooked rice: traditional and modern methods. Food Chem Toxicol 44:1823–1829

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith N, Lee R, Heitkemper DT, DeNicola Cafferky K, Haque A, Henderson AK (2006) Inorganic arsenic in cooked rice and vegetables from Bangladeshi households. Sci The Total Environ 370:294–301

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sofuoglu SC, Güzelkaya H, Akgül Ö, Kavcar P, Kurucaovalı F, Sofuoglu A (2014) Speciated arsenic concentrations, exposure, and associated health risks for rice and bulgur. Food Chem Toxicol 64:184–191

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stroud JL, Norton GJ, Islam MR, Dasgupta T, White RP, Price AH, Meharg AA, McGrath SP, Zhao FJ (2011) The dynamics of arsenic in four paddy fields in the Bengal delta. Environ Pollut 159:947–953

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sun GX, Williams PN, Zhu YG, Deacon C, Carey AM, Raab A, Feldmann J, Meharg AA (2009) Survey of arsenic and its speciation in rice products such as breakfast cereals, rice crackers and Japanese rice condiments. Environ Int 35:473–475

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Talukder ASMHM, Meisner CA, Sarkar MAR, Islam MS, Sayre KD, Duxbury JM, Lauren JG (2012) Effect of water management, arsenic and phosphorus levels on rice in a high-arsenic soil–water system: II. arsenic uptake. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 80:145–151

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tseng CH, Chong CK, Chen CJ, Tai TY (1996) Dose–response relationship between peripheral vascular disease and ingested inorganic arsenic among residents in blackfoot disease endemic villages in Taiwan. Atherosclerosis 120:125–133

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Williams PN, Price AH, Raab A, Hossain SA, Feldmann J, Meharg AA (2005) Variation in arsenic speciation and concentration in paddy rice related to dietary exposure. Environ Sci Teconol 39:5531–5540

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wong WWK, Chung SWC, Chan BTP, Ho YY, Xiao Y (2013) Dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic of the Hong Kong population: results of the first Hong Kong total diet study. Food Chem Toxicol 51:379–385

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ye XX, Sun B, Yin YL (2012) Variation of As concentration between soil types and rice genotypes and the selection of cultivars for reducing As in the diet. Chemosphere 87:384–389

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu YG, Williams PN, Meharg AA (2008) Exposure to inorganic arsenic from rice: a global health issue? Environ Pollut 154:169–171

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We are in great debt to our colleagues at Department of Industrial Safety and Health, Hungkuang University, and the Research Center of Environmental Trace Toxic Substances, National Cheng Kung University Medical College for their analytical assistance. This study was supported by grants from Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare.

Conflict of interest

All authors have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Occupational Safety and Hazard Prevention, Hung Kuang University, No. 1018, Sec. 6, Taiwan Boulevard, Shalu District, Taichung City, 43302, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Hsiu-Ling Chen, Han-Ting Huang & Yi-Chen Wu

  2. Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, Hung Kuang University, Taichung, Taiwan

    Winn-Jung Huang

  3. Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Medical College, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 701, Taiwan

    Ching-Chang Lee

  4. Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Executive Yuan, Taiwan

    Ya-Chen Hsu & Yi-Ting Kao

Authors
  1. Hsiu-Ling Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ching-Chang Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Winn-Jung Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Han-Ting Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Yi-Chen Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ya-Chen Hsu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Yi-Ting Kao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hsiu-Ling Chen.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Chen, HL., Lee, CC., Huang, WJ. et al. Arsenic speciation in rice and risk assessment of inorganic arsenic in Taiwan population. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 4481–4488 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5623-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5623-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation