Potential Exposure to Arsenic from Infant Rice Cereal

Authors

  • Courtney C. Carignan Children's Environmental Health & Disease Prevention Research Center at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH;Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH;Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
  • Tracy Punshon Children's Environmental Health & Disease Prevention Research Center at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH;Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
  • Margaret R. Karagas Children's Environmental Health & Disease Prevention Research Center at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH;Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH
  • Kathryn L. Cottingham Children's Environmental Health & Disease Prevention Research Center at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH;Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aogh.2016.01.020

Keywords:

arsenic, environmental exposure, infant formula, rice cereal

Abstract

Background

Rice is known to be high in arsenic, including in infant rice cereal. Although arsenic in drinking water is currently regulated, there are currently no US regulations regarding arsenic concentrations in food.

Objective

We used published values to estimate arsenic exposure via rice cereal relative to breast milkor formula for 6- to 12-month-old infants in the general US population.

Results

We found that arsenic exposure from 3 servings of rice cereal exceeded that of formula made with water containing arsenic at 10 μg/L, the US Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant level.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that rice cereal can markedly increase arsenic exposure among US infants relative to breast milk and formula.

Author Biographies

Courtney C. Carignan, Children's Environmental Health & Disease Prevention Research Center at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH;Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH;Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA

PhD

Tracy Punshon, Children's Environmental Health & Disease Prevention Research Center at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH;Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH

PhD

Margaret R. Karagas, Children's Environmental Health & Disease Prevention Research Center at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH;Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH

PhD

Kathryn L. Cottingham, Children's Environmental Health & Disease Prevention Research Center at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH;Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH

PhD

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Published

2016-06-17

Issue

Vol. 82 No. 1 (2016)

Section

Commentary

License

Copyright (c) 2016 The Author(s)

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