No abstract

Rice, rich with carbohydrates, proteins, and essential elements such as zinc, has the propensity to bio-accumulate toxic elements. The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential metalligand binding sites in the husk, bran and endosperm tissues in rice seeds (Oryza sativa L.) collected from contaminated rice fields near the XKS mine in China using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and elemental analysis. Results demonstrate that the polar atom ratio (N+S+O/C) ranged from 0.92-1.16 in both endosperm and husk. The N/C ratio was greater in endosperm (0.02-0.04) than in the husk (0.01).