Determination and health risk assessment of heavy metals (arsenic, lead and cadmium) in Iranian rice

Soheyl  Eskandari; Alireza  Bakhtiyari; Saeed  Aghebat-Bekheir; Yeganeh  Hamidi; Azadeh  Rashidimehr; Mahtab  Mofatehi

doi:10.18502/jfsh.v11i2.20993

Soheyl Eskandari Food and Drug Laboratory Research Center (FDLRC), Food and Drug Administration (IR-FDA), Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MoHME), Tehran, Iran
Alireza Bakhtiyari Food Safety and Hygiene Division, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Saeed Aghebat-Bekheir Department of Toxicology & Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Yeganeh Hamidi Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences and Modern Technologies, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
Azadeh Rashidimehr ADepartment of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran.
Mahtab Mofatehi Department of Food Hygiene, Islamic Azad University, North Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/jfsh.v11i2.20993

Keywords: Rice; Risk assessment; Daily intake; Hazard quotient; Cancer risk

Abstract

Rice is a major component of the human diet, so it can pose serious health risks in case of contamination. This study aimed to evaluate the levels of lead, cadmium, and arsenic in Iranian rice, and the associated health risks for consumers. For this purpose 41 samples of Iranian rice were purchased from market in Tehran city. After removing ash and preparing the samples, they were tested for lead and cadmium using a flame atomic absorption device. Arsenic levels were measured using an Arsenometer. Health risk assessment was conducted using hazard quotient and cancer risk formulas. The level of arsenic (0.16764 ± 56.84 mg/kg) exceeds the maximum tolerance set by the national standard of Iran. However, the levels of lead and cadmium (0.02264 ± 37.86 mg/kg lead and 0.1113 ± 12 mg/kg cadmium) are below the maximum tolerance. Although the HQ (Hazard Quotient) and HI (Hazard Index) for heavy metals are below one, the greatest risk is associated with arsenic. Additionally, the assessment of CR (carcinogenic risk) due to heavy metal exposure in children and adults is less than 10-6. It can be said, long-term consumption of contaminated rice may pose a risk due to the high arsenic content. Further studies are necessary to make definitive decisions and evaluate this issue comprehensively