Speciated arsenic concentrations, exposure, and associated health risks for rice and bulgur

Abstract

a b s t r a c tArsenic species were determined in rice and bulgur samples that were collected from 50 participants who also supplied exposure related information through a questionnaire survey. Speciation analysis was conducted using an HPLC-ICP-MS system. Ingestion exposure to arsenic and associated health risks were assessed by combining the concentration and questionnaire data both for individual participants and the subject population. Inorganic arsenic dominated both in rice and bulgur but concentrations were about an order of magnitude higher in rice (160 ± 38 ng/g) than in bulgur. Because participants also consumed more rice than bulgur, exposures were significantly higher for rice resulting in carcinogenic risks above acceptable level for 53% and 93% of the participants when the in-effect and the proposed potencies were used, respectively, compared to 0% and 5% for bulgur. An inorganic arsenic standard for rice would be useful to lower the risks while public awareness about the relation between excessive rice consumption and health risks is built, and bulgur consumption is promoted.

Total contents of arsenic and associated health risks in edible mushrooms, mushroom supplements and growth substrates from Galicia (NW Spain)

“…In general, organic arsenic compounds are considered less toxic than inorganic arsenic. Still, they cannot be assumed as being completely benign (Sofuoglu et al, 2014); indeed, arsenic has been classified as Group 1 carcinogens (i.e., carcinogenic to humans) (ATSDR, 2007;Gonzálvez et al, 2009;HHS, 2011;Niedzielski et al, 2013;Soeroes et al, 2005). Determining the form of arsenic for mushrooms grown in unpolluted and polluted soils is an important issue for understanding the uptake, transfer, and accumulation processes in fruiting bodies.…”

An exposure-risk assessment for potentially toxic elements in rice and bulgur

“…Results of the questionnaire survey (n=50) were presented in our previous study (Sofuoglu et al 2014). Briefly, participant age ranged from 14 to 75 years with an average of 33.5 years.…”

“…Factor analysis showed that PTEs can be grouped under three factors as (1) Cu, Mn, and Zn, (2) Cd, Co, and (3) Pb; indicating PTE contamination might have occurred from three sources: the first probably being soil, and the second and the third probably being two different anthropogenic sources. If previously published As concentrations (Sofuoglu et al 2014) are included, four factors were extracted: (1) Cu, Mn, and Zn, (2) Cd, Co, and As, (3) Sr, and (4) Pb. The inclusion of As results in the addition of As into the Cd and Co anthropogenic source, with Sr indicating another source which might be of both crustal and anthropogenic origins.…”

“…They are rich sources of essential elements. However, they are also known to accumulate potentially toxic elements (PTE) when grown on contaminated lands, such as in mining areas (Li et al 2014a;Robson et al 2014), around metal recycling and e-waste dismantling facilities (Fu et al 2013;Li et al 2014b), and those irrigated with contaminated waters such as from rivers (Si et al 2015), groundwaters arsenic levels in rice and bulgur (n=50), and compared the two in terms of associated health risks (Sofuoglu et al 2014). The aim of this study was to investigate levels of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, and Zn in rice and bulgur, and to estimate ingestion exposure and associated chronic-toxic and carcinogenic human health risks using the same samples that were collected from participants living in urban Izmir, Turkey, whose exposure-related information were collected by administration of a questionnaire.…”

Importance of low substrate arsenic content in mushroom cultivation and safety of final food product

“…Therefore, content of inorganic As forms rather than total concentration of this metalloid in food products needs to be routinely monitored. Over the years, numerous studies have estimated contribution of various food products in dietary intake of inorganic As and indicated that some may represent a significant source of dietary exposure at levels close to the toxicological limits [7][8][9][10][11]. Nevertheless, its level in edible mushrooms is not regulated by law and only occasionally subjected to study [12].…”