Geographical variation of cadmium distribution in rice from Bangladesh: a market basket survey

Cadmium (Cd) is regarded as one of the most toxic and widespread elements in the environment (Du et al., 2013). Food is considered as the main source of Cd exposure to humans (Uraguchi et al., 2009). It was reported that rice plants take Cd from soil by roots and translocated to grains through shoots (Song et al., 2015). Rice grown on Cd contaminated soils affect both quantity and quality of food (Ke et al., 2015). Therefore, Cd minimization in rice is time demanding for the agro environmental sustainability of world rice production and food safety. Cadmium mobility and bioavailability is higher than many other elements of soil though it is not essential for plant growth or biological system. Rice has tendency of accumulation of Cd more than other cereals and it is the major food source of Cd for rice eating population (Meharg et al., 2013). As Cd is a toxic heavy metal and can cause carcinogenicity, human exposure of Cd can create kidney damage and at the same time cause adverse impact on pulmonary, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems (USDHHS, 2012). So health risk associated with consumption of Cd contaminated rice is a matter of concern for the regions and population depending on rice for caloric intake (Meharg et al., 2013). Therefore, it is crucial to determine the Cd concentration in rice, variation of Cd distribution among various locations and the dietary exposure of Cd from rice consumption. In this study, we report the concentration of Cd in polished rice, dietary exposure of Cd from rice and the geographical variation of Cd distribution in rice based on our study in Bangladesh. (author)