Analytical studies on contents of essential and toxic elements in rice available in latvian retail

Rice is an important source of nutrition as well as food supplies for massive food industry, retail, home consumption, animal feedstock and other uses. The quality of the grown agricultural foods is fragile and dependent on many external and internal factors, e.g., influenced by environmental factors of which one of the most important is mineral nutrition via fertilizers, natural soil structure, texture and mineral contents, micro-and micrometeorological, hidrological factors. The aim of this study is to evaluate the variability and trends of elemental content by geographic origin and grain type of analyzed rice samples. The content of some essential (Mn, Cu, Zn, Se) and some toxic elements (Pb, Cd, As) were measured in different types of rice such as white, long grain, brown, jasmine, parboiled. Rice samples were acquaired in local retail industry supermarkets as suppliers. In Latvia rice is imported as the climate is not enough humid and warm to grow such type of cultures, the countries of production the rice is imported from are Italy, Spain, Pakistan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Belgium, Greece and “Unknown”. The concentration levels of elements in rice grains were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometry after acid digestion in microwave digestion system. The results show that elemental content in samples of imported rice are different regards to geography and grain type. Peculiarities and possible reasons of variability in elemental content is additionally discussed.