A preliminary health risk assessment of heavy metals in local and imported rice grains marketed in Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.

Abstract

Within recent times, heavy metal contamination in rice (Oryza Sativa) has been of growing concern particularly due to its implications on human health via consumption. Twenty-one different brands of rice marketed in Trinidad and Tobago were investigated for their heavy metal content (Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. Lead was not detected in any of the samples, while both Cadmium and Nickel were detected in only one sample each at 0.27 and 1.79 µg/g, respectively. The average metal concentrations decreased in the following order: Zinc > Manganese > Copper > Chromium with concentrations ranging from 1.00–4.35, 1.72–29.92, 5.87–43.56 and 0.06–1.16 µg/g, respectively. The target hazard quotient (THQ) and hazard index (HI) values for all samples were less than one, indicating no risk of non-carcinogenic effects to consumers.

Keywords:

• Oryza sativa
• rice consumption
• hazard index
• non-carcinogenic risk
• multivariate statistics

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr Lebert Grierson and Ms Alisha Hamid from the Department of Chemistry, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, for their resources and support throughout this project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.