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Risk Assessment of Arsenic in Rice Cereal and Other Dietary Sources for Infants and Toddlers in the U.S

Author

Listed:
  • Tomoyuki Shibata

    (Public Health Program, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115, USA
    Global Environmental Health LAB, Not-for-Profit Organization, Brooklyn, NY 11206, USA)

  • Can Meng

    (Public Health Program, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115, USA
    Division of Statistics, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115, USA)

  • Josephine Umoren

    (Nutrition & Dietetics Program, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115, USA)

  • Heidi West

    (Global Environmental Health LAB, Not-for-Profit Organization, Brooklyn, NY 11206, USA)

Abstract

Currently, there are no set standards or quantitative guidelines available in the U.S. for arsenic levels in rice cereal, one of the most common first solid foods for infants. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the detected levels of inorganic arsenic (As i ) in rice cereal in the U.S. market are safe for consumption by infants and toddlers. A risk assessment was conducted based on literature reviews of the reported As i in rice cereal from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) survey and the recommended daily intake of rice cereal by body weight, for infants and toddlers between four and 24 months old. As a part of risk management, a maximum contaminant level (MCL) for As i in rice cereal was computed considering overall exposure sources including drinking water, infant formula, and other infant solid foods. Hazard quotients (HQs) for acute and chronic exposures were calculated based on the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry’s (ATSDR) Minimal Risk Level (MRL) acute (5.0 × 10 −3 mg/kg/day) and MRL chronic (3.0 × 10 −4 mg/kg/day). A cancer slope or potency factor of 1.5 mg/kg/day was used to predict an incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR). Exposure assessment showed that the largest source of As i for infants and toddlers between four and 24 months old was rice cereal (55%), followed by other infant solid food (19%), and drinking water (18%). Infant formula was the smallest source of As i for babies (9%) at the 50th percentile based on Monte Carlo simulations. While HQ acute were consistently below 1.0, HQ chronic at the 50 and 75th percentiles exceeded 1.0 for both rice cereal and total sources. ILCR ranged from 10 −6 (50th) to 10 −5 (75th percentile). MCLs for As i in rice cereal ranged from 0.0 (chronic) to 0.4 mg/kg (acute exposures).

Suggested Citation

  • Tomoyuki Shibata & Can Meng & Josephine Umoren & Heidi West, 2016. "Risk Assessment of Arsenic in Rice Cereal and Other Dietary Sources for Infants and Toddlers in the U.S," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-10, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:13:y:2016:i:4:p:361-:d:66486
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Alesia C. Ferguson & Jennifer C. Black & Isaac B. Sims & Jennifer N. Welday & Samir M. Elmir & Kendra F. Goff & J. Mark Higginbotham & Helena M. Solo-Gabriele, 2018. "Risk Assessment for Children Exposed to Arsenic on Baseball Fields with Contaminated Fill Material," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-23, January.
    2. Zhuyun Gu & Shamali de Silva & Suzie M. Reichman, 2020. "Arsenic Concentrations and Dietary Exposure in Rice-Based Infant Food in Australia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-11, January.
    3. Michele C. Toledo & Janice S. Lee & Bruno L. Batista & Kelly P. K. Olympio & Adelaide C. Nardocci, 2022. "Exposure to Inorganic Arsenic in Rice in Brazil: A Human Health Risk Assessment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-18, December.
    4. Michele C. Toledo & Janice S. Lee & Bruno Lemos Batista & Kelly P. K. Olympio & Adelaide C. Nardocci, 2024. "Essential and Toxic Elements in Infant Cereal in Brazil: Exposure Risk Assessment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(4), pages 1-17, March.
    5. Noelle Liao & Edmund Seto & Brenda Eskenazi & May Wang & Yan Li & Jenna Hua, 2018. "A Comprehensive Review of Arsenic Exposure and Risk from Rice and a Risk Assessment among a Cohort of Adolescents in Kunming, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-17, October.
    6. Cristine Couto de Almeida & Diego dos Santos Baião & Paloma de Almeida Rodrigues & Tatiana Dillenburg Saint’Pierre & Rachel Ann Hauser-Davis & Katia Christina Leandro & Vania Margaret Flosi Paschoalin, 2022. "Toxic Metals and Metalloids in Infant Formulas Marketed in Brazil, and Child Health Risks According to the Target Hazard Quotients and Target Cancer Risk," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-14, September.
    7. Alesia Ferguson & Helena Solo-Gabriele, 2016. "Children’s Exposure to Environmental Contaminants: An Editorial Reflection of Articles in the IJERPH Special Issue Entitled, “Children’s Exposure to Environmental Contaminants”," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-10, November.

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