Screening inorganic arsenic in rice by visible and near-infrared spectroscopy

The potential of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for screening the inorganic arsenic (i-As) content in commercial rice was assessed. Forty samples of rice were freeze-dried and scanned by NIRS. The i-As contents of the samples were obtained by acid digestion-solvent extraction followed by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry, and were regressed against different spectral transformations by modified partial least square (MPLS) regression. The second derivative transformation equation of the raw optical data, previously standardized by applying standard normal variate (SNV) and De-trending (DT) algorithms, resulted in a coefficient of determination in the cross-validation (1-VR) of 0.65, indicative of equations useful for correct separation of the samples in low, medium and high groups. The standard deviation (SD) to standard error of cross-validation (SECV) ratio, expressed in the second derivative equation, was similar to those obtained for other trace metal calibrations reported in NIRS reflectance. Spectral information relating to starch, lipids and fiber in the rice grain, and also pigments in the caryopsis, were the main components used by MPLS for modeling the selected prediction equation. This pioneering use of NIRS to predict the i-As content in rice represents an important reduction in labor input and cost of analysis.