Arsenic concentration in rice grown from three local government areas of Kano, Nigeria

Arsenic (As) in food and water has been linked to cancers and other diseases. Rice is of interest because many types may contain higher contents of As than other foods of terrestrial origin. As concentrations in rice produced from three Local Government Areas of Kano State were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The mean As concentrations were 0.369 ± 0.092, 0.293 ± 0.126, and 0.255 ± 0.125 mg/kg in Kura, Tudun Wada, and Bagwai Local Government Areas of Kano State, respectively. The mean concentrations were all above the maximum limit of 0.2 mg/kg set by Alimentratious Commission (2014) and Commission Regulation (EU, 2015). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that there is no significant difference in mean concentration of As (mg/kg) among the three local government areas.