Determination of Cadmium Concentration in Milled and Brown Rice Grains Using Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry.

Heavy metal pollution is a growing public health concern since it poses a food risk to public health via metal transfer. Cadmium is of particular concern because it is a potential carcinogen if exceed tolerable limits in the grain. Hence, it is important to monitor the cadmium content of rice before it reaches the market to ensure public healthy safety, especially in areas known to have high cadmium levels in soil. In this chapter, the method used to determine the concentration of cadmium in milled and brown rice grain samples is described. This method involves sample digestion with concentrated nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide and analysis of cadmium by Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (GF-AAS). Because cadmium concentrations are low in rice grains, quantification of cadmium content requires the use of a more sensitive instrument, such as GF-AAS.