ASSESSMENT OF HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATIONS IN RICE: A CASE STUDY OF KOH RAI SUBDISTRICT, BAN PHO DISTRICT, CHACHOENGSAO PROVINCE

Abstract

This study aims to assess the levels of heavy metals, including manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), and total arsenic (Total As), contaminating rice grain samples after harvest from five rice fields in Koh Rai Subdistrict, Ban Pho District, Chachoengsao Province. The analysis of heavy metals in jasmine rice samples was conducted using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry; ICP-MS while also observing the agricultural chemical practices of the farmers in all five fields. The results indicated that the rice samples had the highest manganese contamination (14.799-31.479 mg/kg) followed by zinc, copper, total arsenic, and cadmium, respectively, with concentrations ranging from 14.549-18.368, 2.393-3.859, 0.094-0.105, and 0.013-0.032 mg/kg, respectively. These contamination levels are within the standards set by the Ministry of Public Health of Thailand. Additionally, the levels of heavy metal contamination in the rice samples may be related to the agricultural chemical practices of the farmers. Therefore, farmers should reduce the use of chemical agricultural substances by using them only when necessary and experiment with the use of effective organic-biological substances as substitutes. This will help reduce the problem of chemical residue accumulation in the produce, lower production costs, and benefit the health and safety of both farmers and consumers in the food chain.