Arsenic in cereals, their relation with human health risk, and possible mitigation strategies

Arsenic (As) contamination of edible plants is now well recognized mainly in Bangladesh, India, and some other countries of South and Southeast Asia and Latin America. It is well known that long-term use of As-contaminated irrigation water adds As to soils and edible plants to adversely affect food production and quality. Consolidated evidence shows that As uptake in edible plants and crops is proportionally associated with the presence of high As in soils and irrigation waters. However, factors such as cultivation method, As speciation, soil composition, origin, and type of plant have major impact on the amount of As uptake. When As is absorbed by crops and edible plants, this may add substantially to the dietary As intake, thus posing human health risks to local inhabitants and to places where the As-contaminated food is exported. To date, limited attention has been paid to the risk of consumption of As-contaminated foods. In this context, our aim was to review As uptake in some of the common and popular cereals that have been a cause of human health risk. We also reviewed possible mitigation options and what needs to be done in the future.