Rice is one of the main sources of inorganic arsenic consumed in the current population’s diet. Arsenic occurs naturally in the environment and can also be present as the result of human activity. Rice plants are especially efficient at soaking up arsenic from their environment because the flooded areas in which they are grown make it easier to take up arsenic compounds. Inorganic arsenic is a known carcinogen, and chronic exposure to low levels of arsenic has been linked to increased risk of bladder, lung and skin cancer, as well as Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Rice samples from the United States have shown higher inorganic arsenic levels compared to other samples from around the world; infant rice cereal sold here is generally made from American rice. Brown rice tends to contain more arsenic than white rice. The United States and European Union have not set limits for arsenic in food products, including rice. China has a limit of 150 ng/g of inorganic As in rice. It is not clear how harmful arsenic in rice may be to human population and new data could aid in a risk assessment. Infants may be at higher risk because they are more susceptible to the harmful effects of arsenic than adults.<br/>The aim of this study was to conduct a survey of arsenic content in infant rice cereals and rice flours purchased at US supermarkets. The rice samples were analyzed for arsenic (As) speciation by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupledto inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to determine inorganic arsenic (iAs) as the sum of two inorganic forms of arsenic, arsenite (AsIII) and arsenate (AsV). The organic form of As, monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) were also determined.<br/>

Determination of arsenic in baby cereal

255th National Meeting (2018)

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