Quantitative Analysis and Human Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Paddy Plants Collected from Perak, Malaysia

Agatha Anak Sibuar, Nur Syahirah Zulkafflee, Jinap Selamat, Mohd Razi Ismail, Soo Yee Lee and Ahmad Faizal Abdull Razis
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Agatha Anak Sibuar: Department of Food Science, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
Nur Syahirah Zulkafflee: Department of Food Science, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
Jinap Selamat: Department of Food Science, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
Mohd Razi Ismail: Laboratory of Climate-Smart Food Crop Production, Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Food Security, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
Soo Yee Lee: Natural Medicines and Products Research Laboratory, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
Ahmad Faizal Abdull Razis: Department of Food Science, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 2, 1-19

Abstract: Rice is one of the major crops as well as the staple food in Malaysia. However, historical mining activity has raised a concern regarding heavy metal contamination in paddy plants, especially in Perak, a state with major tin mining during the late nineteenth century. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the heavy metals (As, Cd, Pb, Cu, Cr) contamination in paddy soils and paddy plants in three districts in Perak. The content of heavy metals was determined using ICP-MS, while the absorption and transferability of heavy metals in the paddy plants were investigated through enrichment (EF) and translocation (TF) factors. Principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to recognize the pattern of heavy metal contaminations in different sampling areas. Health risk assessment was performed through calculation of various indices. The quantification results showed that root contained highest concentration of the studied heavy metals, with As exhibiting the highest concentration. The EF results revealed the accumulation of As, Cu, and Cr in the rice grains while PCA showed the different compositional pattern in the different sampling areas. The health risk assessment disclosed both noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic risks in the local adults and children. Overall, findings from this study show that heavy metal contamination poses potential health risks to the residents and control measure is required.

Keywords: rice; heavy metal; Perak; mining; human health risk (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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