Contents and Health Risk Assessment of Cadmium in Milled Rice in Fujian Province

Cadmium(Cd)accumulated in milled rice has adversely affected human health. Here we collected l458 rice samples from Fujian Province in 2013 to investigate the health risk caused by Cd in milled rice. Cadmium concentrations in rice samples were measured using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer(GF-AAS). The metal pollution in milled rice was evaluated by single factor pollution in-dex, and the metal health risk was assessed by nonparametric probability method. Cadmium concentrations in all samples ranged from 0.001 to 1.158 mg·kg-1, in which only 5% of the samples contained Cd exceeding the China Health Standards for Food(0.2 mg·kg-1). The hazard quotient(HQ)of the health risk was 1.34, 1.87 and 3.56 for 95%, 97.5% and 99.5% exposure, respectively, all greater than 1, indicating the potential risk of Cd pollution. Moreover, late-season rice had higher Cd absorption than early and mid-season rice did. The present study suggests that the accumulation of Cd in milled rice is a potential health risk to consumers of some areas in Fujian Province. Considering the potential health risk, it is necessary to implement yearly monitoring of Cd contamination in milled rice in Fujian Province.