ICP-MS Determination of Potential Toxic Elements in Soil and Rice (Oryza sativa L.) and Related Health Risk

High-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was applied to determine potential toxic element pollution in rice and paddy soil in a lead-acid battery production area. The contamination levels of chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) in rice and soil at three sampling areas were determined, and the uptake mechanism of Cr, Cd, and Pb from soil to rice grain was preliminarily analyzed. The results show that the range of potential toxic elements in rice concentrations is 3.914–11.788, 0.057–1.215, and 0.187–1.585 mg kg −1 for Cr, Cd, and Pb, respectively. For the paddy soils, Cd concentration is 0.610 mg kg −1 , which exceeds 0.300 mg kg −1 , a value recommended by Chinese Environmental Quality. Bioaccumulation factor (BAF, an index of the ability of plant to absorb a particular metal with respect to its concentration in the soil substrate) values of Cr, Cd, and Pb were less than 1 in all rice samples, suggesting that the bioavailability of these metals was relatively low in rice. The correlations between BAF values with organic matter (OM) and pH were calculated to find the mobility and availability of potential toxic elements in soil. At last, the estimated daily intake (EDI) dose was determined to evaluate the health risk to local population via consumption of rice contaminated with Cr, Cd, and Pb. This study indicated that the accumulation and translocation of potential toxic elements from soil to rice could cause the health risk for the local population.