Trace metal(loid)s contamination in paddy rice (Oryza sativa L.) from wetlands near two gold mines in Côte d'Ivoire and health risk assessment.

This study examined the concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and mercury (Hg) in rice grains grown in wetlands associated with gold mining in central-southern of Côte d'Ivoire to evaluate potential health risks exposure via rice consumption. In total, 30 rice grains were sampled around Agbaou and Bonikro gold mines. Arsenic and cadmium concentrations were determined using an inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES), while atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) was used for mercury. Results showed that As and Hg average concentrations in rice were above the permissible limits, while Cd average concentrations were below the permissible limit established by FAO/WHO in both sites. Except for Hg at Agbaou, no significant (p < 0.05) difference was found between trace metal concentrations in the two sites. The average daily intake (ADI) of As via rice consumption exceeded the USEPA reference dose (RfD) of 0.0003 µg g-1 day-1, indicating that rice ingestion is a pathway of As exposure for adults and children in the area. The average values of non-carcinogen (HQ) for As and carcinogen (CR) for As and Cd risks index suggest that potential health risks exist for both adults and children due to rice consumption at Agbaou and Bonikro. The maximum safe weekly consumption (MSWC) of rice relative to As, Cd, and Hg was estimated for the study area. Overall, this study provides strong evidence that As could threaten local population health in Côte d'Ivoire regions where gold mine extraction is occurring through rice ingestion.

Preliminary data on arsenic and trace metals concentrations in wetlands around artisanal and industrial mining areas (Cote d'Ivoire, West Africa).

This data article is issued from the research article ''Distribution trends and ecological risks of arsenic and trace metals in wetland sediments around gold mining activities in central-southern and southeastern Côte d'Ivoire'' [1]. It presents arsenic and trace metal Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, Cr, Co, Fe, Al, Mn, and Ni loadings in surface sediments collected from industrial mining, artisanal and small scale mining, and non-mining areas (West Africa). Are also provided, hierarchical dendrograms and factor loadings derived from the Hierarchical Clustering Analysis (HCA) and the principal component analysis (PCA), respectively. Data ranged from