Levels of heavy metal cadmium in rice (Oryza sativa L.) produced in Taiwan and probabilistic risk assessment for the Taiwanese population

Abstract

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic pollutant that is widely spread through industrial production and agricultural practices. Epidemiological data has revealed that lifetime exposure to environmentally relevant levels of Cd increases the risk of developing various organ diseases, including chronic kidney, heart, and lung diseases, as well as nervous tissue disorders. This study assessed Cd levels in rice to determine the health risks associated with rice consumption in various age-gender subgroups in Taiwan. The distribution of Cd concentration, the lifetime average daily dose (LADD), and the hazard index (HI) were estimated by Monte Carlo simulation. In the general population, the 50th percentile LADD of Cd for male rice consumers between the ages of 19–65 years was 0.06 μg/kg body weight per day, and the hazard index (HI) 50th, 90th, and 95th percentiles were 0.16, 0.69, and 1.54, respectively. According to the HI heat map for the exposure of the general population to Cd from rice in Taiwan, the highest exposure to Cd was noted in the Yilan area (HI 0.64). Therefore, rice production in the Yilan area should be further monitored to evaluate the levels of Cd contamination.

Exposure to Toxic Metals from the Consumption of Rice in Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates. (c2022)

“…However, in general, Cd levels in our Lebanese samples were higher than the ones reported in most studies assessing Cd content in rice. Cd levels in our UAE samples were close to levels detected by Rabbani et al (2015) for Iranian rice (0.06± 0.05 mg/kg) but higher than the ones reported by Lien et al (2021) for Taiwanese rice and Bielecka et al (2020) for rice and rice products in Poland. Lien et al (2021) indicated that, on average, Taiwanese rice samples contained 0.04± 0.04 mg/kg, while Bielecka et al (2020) reported a mean Cd content of 25.7±26.5 µg/kg (0.0257±0.0265 mg/kg).…”

Sex-specific differences in early renal impairment associated with arsenic, lead, and cadmium exposure among young adults in Taiwan

“…Citing high and frequent consumption of rice among Taiwanese, a previous study in Taiwan had raised an alarm about the high Cd levels in rice (Lien et al 2021). In this study, we surveyed the frequency of rice consumption, and the results showed that there were no differences on median in urinary Cd levels between the group that consumed rice more than once per day (0.51 μg/L) and the group that consumed rice less than once per day (0.52 μg/L) (p = 0.809, data not shown).…”

“…Regarding Cd, in our previous study, we found that urinary Cd levels in the general Taiwanese population had slightly increased over the past three decades, and exposure levels in Taiwan were higher than in other developed countries (Liao et al 2019). The main route of Cd exposure in the general population is through the consumption of food, especially rice, which is a major part of the Taiwanese diet (Lien et al 2021), or through smoking (Faroon et al 2012). In addition, Cd exposure has been known to affect kidney function as it is associated with tubular dysfunction, hypercalciuria, and low-molecular-weight proteinuria (de Burbure et al 2006;Goyer 1989, Prozialeck &Edwards 2012.…”

Analysis and health risk assessments of some trace metals in Ethiopian rice (white and red) and imported rice

“…The health risks of trace metals from long-term rice consumption by humans [ 6 , 28 , 29 ] can be evaluated in terms of their carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effects [ 30 ]. The target hazard quotient (THQ) and hazard index (HI) were used to describe the possible health risks to humans [ 31 , 32 ].…”