Inorganic arsenic content in Ecuadorian rice-based products

ABSTRACT

Arsenic intake in the world is linked with drinking water and food; the main sources of inorganic As (i-As) exposure in food are rice and rice-based products. The consumption of rice in Ecuador is 53.2 kg year⁻¹ and it is the most commonly used cereal for the preparation of many popular dishes especially for subjects with celiac disease. Objectives of this research were: (i) to determine the content of i-As in foods widely consumed by Ecuadorians with celiac disease, (ii) to calculate the i-As dietary intake, and (iii) to model and predict the health risks of the population under study as a result of their exposure to i-As from rice-based food. The estimated daily intakes of Ecuadorian children (below 3 years of age) and adults were established at 0.52 and 0.55 μg kg⁻¹ body weight d⁻¹, respectively. These values were above the lower BMDL₀₁ value established for i-As established by the EFSA; consequently, it can be concluded that health risk cannot be excluded for the Ecuadorian population with celiac disease.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• Oryza sativa
• Ecuador
• food safety
• Latin America
• metalloids
• children

Author contributions

Development of questionnaire and collection of data from 500 volunteer people were done by some of the co-authors: I. Gavilanes-Terán, J. Idrovo-Novillo E. N. Veloz-Mayorga, R. Erazo-Arrieta and F. Cruz-Paca. Digestion and Analysis were done by M. Cano-Lamadrid and F. Burló. Discussion of the results in the manuscript was done by I. Gavilanes-Terán, M. Cano-Lamadrid and E. García-García. A.A. Carbonell-Barrachina controlled all the study and revised the manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

Author M.C.L. was funded by a FPU grant (Reference number: FPU15/02158) from the Spanish Ministry of Education.