An assessment on toxic and essential elements in rice consumed in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Applied Biological Chemistry

Table 2 Summary of potentially toxic elements (ranges and number of samples > LOQ/ML) present in rice samples collected in 2018 and 2019 from Colombo district, Sri Lanka

Element	ML (mg/kg)	Rice category	Number of samples					Concentration range (mg/kg)
			Total	> LOQ		> ML		Concentration range (mg/kg)
			Total	2018	2019	2018	2019	2018	2019
As	0.2	Improved	96	20	46	0	0	< 0.05–0.12	< 0.05–0.16
		Traditional	48	18	18	2	0	< 0.05–0.28	< 0.05–0.14
		Imported	24	18	14	0	0	0.11–0.16	< 0.05–0.14
Cd	0.2	Improved	96	10	22	0	0	< 0.06–0.12	< 0.06–0.17
		Traditional	48	8	6	0	0	< 0.06–0.20	< 0.06–0.14
		Imported	24	0	0	0	0	< 0.06	< 0.06
Pb	0.2	Improved	96	2	6	2	0	< 0.07–0.33	< 0.07–0.19
		Traditional	48	2	0	2	0	< 0.07–3.47	< 0.07
		Imported	24	0	0	0	0	< 0.07	< 0.07
Hg	0.1	Improved	96	0	0	0	0	< 0.05	< 0.05
		Traditional	48	0	0	0	0	< 0.05	< 0.05
		Imported	24	0	0	0	0	< 0.05	< 0.05
Cr	N/A	Improved	96	2	12	0	0	< 0.07–0.08	< 0.07–0.27
		Traditional	48	2	0	0	0	< 0.07–0.63	< 0.07
		Imported	24	2	2	0	0	< 0.07–0.14	< 0.07–0.14
Ni	N/A	Improved	96	0	0	0	0	< 0.08	< 0.08
		Traditional	48	0	0	0	0	< 0.08	< 0.08
		Imported	24	0	0	0	0	< 0.08	< 0.08

N/A data not available, LOQ limit of quantification, ML maximum level (FAO/WHO)