Methods: This cross-sectional and analytical study was conducted on 150 randomly selected rice samples which were consumed in Hormozgan province in 2015. Heavy metals were measured using dry ash method and atomic spectrometry. Finally, the collected data were analyzed using SPSS software and descriptive (frequency, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics.
Results: The results showed that the amount of heavy metals in imported rice from India and Pakistan, as well as Iranian rice was acceptable according to the Iranian national standard criteria. The concentrations of lead, arsenic, and cadmium in all samples were 0.051, 0.075, and 0.019 mg/kg, respectively.Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the amount of heavy metals in the studied samples is at an acceptable level, and a small difference in the amount of heavy metals may be due to several factors such as the geographical location of the cultivation area, the soil characteristics, the industrial situation in the area, and so on. Therefore, it is suggested that periodic measurements of heavy metals be made in order to create an effective operational system for achieving food security and promoting organic agriculture.
Rights and permissions | |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |