Evaluation of Lead and Cadmium Levels of Iranian and Imported Rice in Kermanshah, 2016 (Iran)

Background & Aims of the Study: One concern of human is heavy metals pollution of food products such as rice. It is a fact that rice is one of the most consumed items in the diet of Iranian people. This study was conducted to evaluate lead and cadmium levels of Iranian and imported rice in Kermanshah city, Iran, 2016. Materials & Methods: This descriptive- analytical and cross sectional study is conducted in Kermanshah, 2016. In this study, 30 Iranian and imported rice samples were selected and sampled. The concentrations of heavy metals (lead and cadmium) were collected, using ICP-OES machine in order to read and compared with the standard values of Food and Drug Administration; also, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) standard. In this study, one-sample t-test and SPSS (version 16) were applied to data analysis. The significance level in all tests was considered (α=0.05). Results: The results showed that the cadmium average of imported and Iranian rice were 1.318 ±0.158 ppm and 1.191 ±0.834, respectively, which were higher than the standard of Food and Drug Administration and FAO. Also, the lead average of imported rice was 8.889 ppm with a standard deviation of 12.179 and 8.659 ppm and a standard deviation of 8.143 for Iranian rice which were higher than the standard of Food and Drug Administration and FAO; the difference was statistically significant. Conclusion: The comparison of lead and cadmium heavy metals concentrations with the standard level showed the concentration of them in both Iranian and imported rice was completely above the standard. Considering the cumulative effects of heavy metals and its adverse effects on human societies, as well as the threat of food security needs to be paid special attention and periodic studies should be undertaken to provide more comprehensive information.