Arsenic speciation analysis in rice milk using LC-ICP-MS.

Area of Science:

• Food Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Rice milk consumption has increased due to lactose intolerance and cow milk allergies.
• Rice milk can contain harmful levels of arsenic (As).
• Controlling arsenic concentration in rice milk is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a methodology for determining arsenic species in rice milk.
• To quantify As(III), dimethylarsenic (DMA), monomethylarsenic (MMA), and As(V) in rice milk samples.

Main Methods:

• Liquid chromatography coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LC-ICP-MS).
• Simple sample preparation involving 3-fold dilution in the mobile phase and filtration.
• Analysis of four specific arsenic species.

Main Results:

• The developed method successfully detected As(III), DMA, MMA, and As(V) in analyzed rice milk samples.
• Arsenic(V) (As(V)) was identified as the predominant arsenic species.
• The method demonstrated a limit of quantification from 0.25 to 0.43 μg/L As, with high analyte recovery (81–116%) and low relative standard deviation (<5%).

Conclusions:

• The proposed LC-ICP-MS methodology is effective for the rapid and accurate determination of arsenic species in rice milk.
• This method supports the monitoring and control of arsenic levels in rice milk products.
• Ensuring the safety of rice milk for consumers by controlling arsenic contamination.