Risk assessment of arsenic exposure from commercially available rice, vegetables, and fish in Brahmanbaria, Bangladesh

Abstract

Arsenic contamination in staple foods is a major public health concern in
Bangladesh. This study aimed to comprehensively assess dietary arsenic
exposure through commercially available rice, vegetables, and fish
collected from local markets in Brahmanbaria District, Bangladesh.
Market-based purposive sampling was employed to collect 20 rice, 48
vegetable, and 20 fish samples from multiple vendor stalls across local
markets. Samples were analyzed for total arsenic content using HG-AAS.
Statistical analyses were performed in R software (version 4.5.1), where
mean ± SE was calculated using the descriptive statistics function. Health
risks were evaluated through Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) analysis.
Arsenic concentrations in rice ranged from 0.047 ± 0.010 mg/kg (Bayek)
to 0.112 ± 0.022 mg/kg (Sultanpur), with the highest levels in Sultanpur,
Gopinathpur, and Mulogram. Vegetables varied from 0.032 ± 0.004
mg/kg (tomato, Mogra) to 0.823 ± 0.149 mg/kg (amaranth, Gopinathpur),
often exceeding the FAO/WHO limit of 0.1 mg/kg, particularly in leafy
greens. Fish levels ranged from 0.054 ± 0.014 mg/kg (Mogra) to 0.410 ±
0.095 mg/kg (Gopinathpur), with several above the 0.1 mg/kg guideline.
THQ analysis indicated rice posed the greatest chronic risk (THQ > 1),
followed by vegetables, with fish contributing a smaller but notable
hazard. The co-occurrence of elevated arsenic in staple foods indicates
cumulative dietary exposure risks. Key limitations include moderate
sample size and absence of speciation analysis. Future studies should
address speciation, biomonitoring, and broader spatiotemporal sampling
to refine exposure estimates. This study provides baseline data to guide
food safety surveillance and public health interventions in arsenicaffected regions.