Metal profiles and health risk assessment of the most consumed rice varieties in Spain

There are numerous publications describing the mineral content of row rice and its impact on human health. However, there are scarce studies about the bioaccessibility and health risk assessment of metallic and metalloid elements from cooked and digested rice. Thus, the aims of the present study were i) to determine the concen-tration of toxic metals (Al, As, Cd, Pb) and trace and essential elements (Ni, Se, Cr, Cu, Mn and Zn) in cooked and digested rice; ii) to evaluate the adult daily intake and iii) to estimate the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic human risk related to cooked and digested rice consumption. The bioavailability of the elements studied and their contribution to human health risk was obtained by an in vitro digestion method simulating the human digestion. The results obtained evidenced that Pb had the lowest bioavailability, in contrast with As, which had the highest. Concerning the non-carcinogenic risk test, all values obtained in cooked and digested rice were below the toxic threshold. Furthermore, Pb was the smallest contributor to carcinogenic risk, while Cr-values are the closest to the limit (10-4). Thus, it could be stated that human metallic exposure through rice consumption is overestimated when metals are measured in row rice.

Automated summary

This study aimed to determine the concentration of toxic metals and trace elements in cooked and digested rice, and evaluate the associated human health risks. Results showed that the bioavailability of lead was the lowest, while arsenic had the highest. Non-carcinogenic risk values in cooked and digested rice were below the toxic threshold. It can be concluded that the human metallic exposure through rice consumption is overestimated when metals are measured in raw rice.