A RISK ASSESSMENT AUDIT OF THE MANAGEMENT OF ARSENIC ACCUMULATION AND CONSUMPTION IN SOUTH ASIAN RICE

Rice is the chief food for about two billion people living in Asia. It has been stated to contain substantial quantity of inorganic arsenic which is noxious to pancreatic beta cells and disturb glucose homeostasis. Millions of consumers around the world may have high Arsenic (As) ingestion from imported rice and rice-based foods, due to the rapid expansion of the global food trade. Arsenic revelation has been linked with enhanced blood glucose and insulin levels, or reduced sensitization of insulin cells to glucose uptake. Arsenic is present in diverse oxidative statuses in the atmosphere and enters in the food chain through soil and water. In the agronomic field, irrigation with arsenic contaminated water, having a greater level of arsenic contamination on the topsoil, affect the quality of crop production. The chief crop like rice (Oryza sativa L.) entails huge amount of water throughout its lifecycle. Rice plants possibly accumulate arsenic, predominantly inorganic arsenic (iAs) from the field, in diverse body parts including grains. Inorganic As varieties are carcinogenic to humans and even at low levels in the diet sham a significant risk to individuals. Extreme accepted daily intake of arsenic accumulated rice (2.1 µg/day kg body weight) has been fixed by WHO, which may be outdone responsible on its content in rice and amount consumed. Hence, enhanced dominance of diabetes in South Asia may be allied to the ingesting of arsenic contaminated rice. In this work, we have focused on the likely relation between rice consumption, arsenic accumulation, and risk assessment in South Asia.