Skip to main content

Abstract

Lead (Pb) is a pollutant of a significant public health concern due to its occurrence, persistence and toxicity. Children exposed to high levels of Pb may present serious health problems, such as neurological and adverse developmental effects. In adults, Pb intoxication may also induce severe damages to the central nervous system and even death. The presence of Pb in the environment has several natural and anthropogenic sources. Emissions of Pb have increased drastically, especially after the industrial revolution. A variety of Pb ores has been used to produce additives in gasoline, coal burning, paintings, batteries, electronic goods and other industrial applications. Crops may also be exposed to Pb pollution due to atmospheric deposition; soil and irrigation water contamination; and use of fertilizers and pesticides Pb-containing. This exposition may decrease crop productivity due to Pb toxicity. Previous studies reported that rice is also susceptible to Pb contamination. Under Pb stress, the germination of seeds can be affected, and rice plants may suffer morphological and biochemical damages. Besides the negative effect in plant development, high Pb concentrations (>1000 ng g−1) in rice grains were observed in areas affected by anthropogenic activities such as mining, spill accidents and inappropriate waste disposal. For food safety, it is necessary to keep contaminants within permissible levels. In this sense, many studies have been conducted around the world to verify the nutritional quality of rice, as well as the risks associated with its consumption due to the presence of toxic elements, i.e. lead.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bruno Lemos Batista .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Pereira, R.M. et al. (2020). Lead in Rice Grain. In: Costa de Oliveira, A., Pegoraro, C., Ebeling Viana, V. (eds) The Future of Rice Demand: Quality Beyond Productivity. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37510-2_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics