Global patterns and exposure assessment of cereal arsenic contamination

Global patterns and exposure assessment of cereal arsenic contamination | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Global patterns and exposure assessment of cereal arsenic contamination Nan Xiao, Qihuang Wang, Yuqiu Chen, Yunhan Jiang, Yijun Yao, Chaofeng Shen This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7460565/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 02 Mar, 2026 Read the published version in Exposure and Health → Version 1 posted 4 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Arsenic contamination in cereal crops represents a critical global food safety concern requiring systematic assessment. We conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of 2,895 arsenic data records from 736 publications (1979-2023) covering rice, wheat, and corn globally. Spatial distribution analysis using ArcGIS and advanced statistical modeling revealed a clear contamination hierarchy: rice (0.1 mg/kg) > wheat (0.05 mg/kg) > corn (0.03 mg/kg). Geographic patterns showed concentration of high-contamination zones in Asia, particularly China and Central Asian republics. Temporal analysis demonstrated stable rice and wheat levels over 35 years, while corn showed 62.5% improvement since 1985. Health risk assessment using updated JECFA reference points (3 μg·kg⁻¹·d⁻¹) identified critical exposure patterns. Bangladesh represents the extreme-risk epicenter, where adults consuming wheat/corn and children consuming corn exhibited Margin of Exposure (MOE) values below the safety threshold (MOE < 1). This indicates their estimated daily intake (EDI) of inorganic arsenic exceeded the benchmark dose lower confidence limit (BMDL0.5), posing severe health threats. Climate change may increase rice arsenic by 25%, which could further exacerbate these risks, particularly in high-exposure regions like Bangladesh. The Asia-Pacific region bears the greatest burden, with Bangladesh alone illustrating a critical public health crisis affecting millions. Immediate priorities must include targeted interventions in high-risk regions, strengthening monitoring systems, implementing pediatric-specific standards, and integrating climate impacts into contamination management frameworks. arsenic contamination cereal crops global distribution health risk assessment climate change food safety Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 02 Mar, 2026 Read the published version in Exposure and Health → Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 21 Sep, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 08 Sep, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 01 Sep, 2025 First submitted to journal 26 Aug, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7460565","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":511884569,"identity":"ae773a39-35b3-48ee-81cf-2ec050352888","order_by":0,"name":"Nan Xiao","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Zhejiang University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Nan","middleName":"","lastName":"Xiao","suffix":""},{"id":511884570,"identity":"51b164c4-bf55-4b1f-b596-f49a47d013e1","order_by":1,"name":"Qihuang Wang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"ISSAS: Institute of Soil Science Chinese Academy of 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