Recipient Organization
GINER, INC.
89 RUMFORD AVENUE
NEWTON,MA 02466
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Rice is a major source of food in many parts of the world and its consumption can be a major contributor to the overall dietary arsenic intake in populations that are not exposed to high levels of arsenic in drinking water. Long-term arsenic exposure has been linked to increased risks of health complications including cancer, cardiovascular, and pulmonary diseases. Arsenic accumulation in rice grains occurs as both inorganic and organic arsenic species. Because inorganic arsenic compounds are substantially more toxic than organic arsenic, an accurate assessment of the health risks associated with consumption of arsenic-tainted rice is only achievable with analytical techniques that enable detection and quantification of the individual inorganic and organic arsenic species.The gold standard technique for arsenic speciation analysis involves hyphenated systems such as HPLC-ICP-MS, which involve high-resolution column separation of arsenic compounds, followed by detection. However, these techniques are expensive and labor intensive, thus analysis is often limited to centralized laboratories. As an alternative approach, Giner proposes to develop a low-cost, portable, rapid, sensitive and selective electrochemical sensor for speciation analysis of arsenic in rice and rice-based food products. This sensor will be designed for easy on-site use at food production facilities, rice crop farms, regulatory enforcement agency facilities, and analytical laboratories. A successfully developed sensor will dramatically increase access to reliable and cost effective arsenic speciation methods, and help rice crop producers and rice food processors adhere to regulatory standards currently under consideration for arsenic levels in food.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
100%
Goals / Objectives
The overall goal of this project is to develop an easy-to-use, economical, and sensitive test apparatus that offers on-site speciation and quantification of trace levels of inorganic and organic arsenic compounds in rice and rice products. Our proposed device will provide a level of accuracy and reliability typically only available in expensive and time-consuming laboratory tests.The main objective of this project is to develop a highly accurate sensor for trace-level quantification of arsenic species including AsIII, AsV, and DMA/MMA in rice extract samples. Specifically, the sensor will be designed to detect arsenic in rice at a concentration of 0.01 mg/kg or lower.The technical objectives of the Phase I program are as follows:Objective 1. Optimize Electrochemical Detection MethodsObjective 2. Refine and Fabricate High Resolution MicroarrayObjective 3. Develop Sample Testing ProceduresObjective 4. Validate Arsenic Speciation Sensor
Project Methods
Although current techniques enable ultra-sensitive arsenic detection, the high capital equipment and maintenance costs and need for highly trained operators limits the wide spread use of these techniques. Arsenic analysis is typically done by shipping samples to centralized analytical laboratories. A method that enables a rapid, simple, low-cost, and field-deployable sensor for accurate speciation and quantification of inorganic (AsIII, AsV) and organic (DMA) arsenic compounds would have the greatest impact in helping food producers and processors adhere to guidelines and regulatory limits of arsenic in food currently under consideration.The proposed method is readily adaptable to on-site analysis, providing accurate and rapid measurements with a low-cost, and field-portable instruments. The proposed protocol for arsenic speciation uses a given rice extract sample of less than 5 ml that is divided into three sub-samples for sequential determination of As(III), total inorganic arsenic (AsIII+AsV), and total organic arsenic (DMA/MMA). Arsenic speciation will be achieved by first determining the AsIII concentration in Sample A. A direct detection method will then be used to quantify total inorganic arsenic (AsIII+AsV) in sample B. This will allow determination of As(V) by calculating the difference in As(III+V) and As(III) concentrations. An electrochemical advanced oxidation process (AOP) will be used to convert MMA and DMA in sample C to As(V), followed by determination of As(III+V) (which now includes both inorganic and organic As). Finally, the total organic arsenic will be determined by subtracting the As(III+V) pre-conversion results from the As(III+V) post conversion results. The goal of this Phase I to develop a sensor that completes this entire sequence of arsenic speciation analysis in 1 hour or less. Further reductions (30 minutes or less) in sample-to-answer response times will be achieved in the Phase II program.