Jamila M Machano, Abdul AJ Mohamed* and Said S Bakar
Published on: 29th August, 2024
This research focused on assessing the levels of selected metal contamination in seven different rice brands (Jasmine, Basmati, Mapembe, Morogoro, Shinyanga, Mbeya, and Cheju). Cheju rice was obtained from local producers from the Cheju area in Zanzibar, while the remaining rice brands namely, Jasmine, Basmati, Mapembe, Morogoro, Shinyanga, and Mbeya were randomly taken from local markets at Darajani and Mwanakwerekwe in Zanzibar. Samples were prepared in accordance with applicable Safe Operating Procedures (SOPs) and laboratory SOPs using information provided by field sample preparation. The samples were ground to fineness and an aliquot of about 10.0 g was measured on the beam balance and mounted on the sample holders for laboratory analysis. An Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) technique with a Rigaku NEX CG EDXRF model spectrometer was used for metal analysis. The study revealed that the percentage of metal contamination varied considerably from one rice brand to another, with Basmati and Jasmine rice each exhibiting a contamination level of 50%, while Shinyanga, Mbeya, Mapembe, and Cheju rice showed a level of 25% each. Notably, Morogoro rice had no observable heavy metal contamination. Additionally, a significant positive correlation was observed between several metal pairs: Au and Cr (r² = 1.00), Au and Ti (r² = 0.613), Cr and Ti (r² = 0.613), Ni and Pb (r² = 0.748), Ni and Hf (r² = 0.660), Pb and Hf (r² = 0.656), and Ti and Sn (r² = 0.671). The individual occurrence (percentage) for metals across all rice brands were as follows: 71.42% for Sn, and 28.57% for Hf, Ni, Pb, and Ti, while traces of Au, Cr, and Y each had an occurrence level of 14.28%. While Morogoro rice showed no metal discernible analyzed heavy metal contamination, the other rice brands were observed to have a considerable heavy metal contamination trend. The patterns of metal occurrence in each rice brand were observed as follows: Basmati: Sn > Ti > Au > Cr; Jasmine: Sn > Hf > Ni > Pb; Shinyanga: Sn > Pb; Mbeya: Sn > Hf; Mapembe: Sn > Ti; Cheju: Ni > Y. The patterns, then yield the ranking of metal contamination across all seven rice brands from lowest to highest is as follows: Morogoro < (Mapembe, Cheju, Mbeya, Shinyanga) < (Jasmine, Basmati). Furthermore, the data analysis indicated that the concentrations of Cr (1.08 mg/Kg), Ni (4.65 mg/Kg), and Pb (3.05 mg/Kg) detected in the samples surpassed the maximum permissible limits established by WHO/FAO which were 1.0 mg/Kg, 0.10 mg/Kg and 0.20 mg/Kg respectively. Consequently, the study concludes that Morogoro rice is the most superior and considered the safest choice for consumption, while Jasmine and Basmati rice are associated with higher levels of metal contamination. Thus, it is highly recommended that Tanzania intensify its rice cultivation efforts to reduce reliance on rice imports from other nations.
“Mobile apps and wearable technology are becoming ubiquitous in our environment. Their integration with healthcare delivery is just beginning to take shape. The early results are promising and the...
I would like to thank this journal for publishing my Research Article. Something I really appreciate about this journal is, they did not take much time from the day of Submission to the publishing dat...
Ayush Chandra
To the editorial team at HSPI and the Journal of Clinical Nephrology:
Thank you so much for your hard work and collaboration in bringing our article to life. Your staff was responsive, flexible, and ...
Alejandro Munoz
I was very pleased with the quick editorial process. We are sure that our paper will have great visibility, among other things due to its open access. We believe in science accessible to all.
Anderson Fernando de Souza
I would like to mention that I had a wonderful experience working with HSPI. The whole process right from manuscript submission to peer review till the publication of the article was very prompt & eff...
Amarjeet Gambhir
Publishing with the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology was a rewarding experience as review process was thorough and brisk.
Their visibility online is second to none as...
Elizabeth Awoyesuku
Thank you very much for accepting our manuscript in your journal “International Journal of Clinical Virology”. We are very thankful to the esteemed team for timely response and quick review proces...
Abdul Baset
Your journal co-operation is very appreciable and motivational. I am really thankful to your journal and team members for the motivation and collaboration to publish my work.
Assistant Professor, UCLAS Uttaranchal University,...
Archna Dhasmana
"This is my first time publishing with the journal/publisher. I am impressed at the promptness of the publishing staff and the professionalism displayed. Thank you for encouraging young researchers li...
Ajite Kayode
The services of the journal were excellent. The most important thing for an author is the speed of the peer review which was really fast here. They returned in a few days and immediately replied all o...
HSPI: We're glad you're here. Please click "create a new Query" if you are a new visitor to our website and need further information from us.
If you are already a member of our network and need to keep track of any developments regarding a question you have already submitted, click "take me to my Query."