Work

Potential Exposure to Arsenic from Infant Rice Cereal

Year: 2016

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Rice is known to be high in arsenic, including in infant rice cereal. Although arsenic in drinking water is currently regulated, there are currently no US regulations regarding arsenic concentrations in food. OBJECTIVE: We used published values to estimate arsenic exposure via rice cereal relative to breast milk or formula for 6- to 12-month-old infants in the general US population. RESULTS: We found that arsenic exposure from 3 servings of rice cereal exceeded that of formula made with water containing arsenic at 10 μg/L, the US Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant level. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that rice cereal can markedly increase arsenic exposure among US infants relative to breast milk and formula.

Source: Annals of Global Health

DOI: 10.1016/j.aogh.2016.01.020

Authors: Courtney C. Carignan, Tracy Punshon, Margaret R. Karagas, Kathryn L. Cottingham

Institutions: Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Dartmouth Health

Language: English

Topic: Arsenic contamination and mitigation

Subfield: Environmental Chemistry

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Zero hunger

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,200