Arsenic in rice: state of knowledge and perceptions in Cambodia

The document investigates the risks of arsenic entering the human food chain through rice consumption in Cambodia, driven by the increasing use of groundwater for dry season irrigation. While arsenic in drinking water is a well-known issue, the paper finds limited awareness of rice as an exposure pathway among stakeholders. It highlights that rice grown in the Mekong River floodplain, particularly in Kandal province, shows higher arsenic levels, and suggests that the Cambodian government should shift toward surface water irrigation and higher-value crops to mitigate health risks and protect export markets.

• Groundwater in the Lower Mekong basin contains naturally occurring arsenic pockets with concentrations reaching or exceeding 500 µg/l, posing significant human health threats.
• Rice is a major arsenic exposure pathway in Cambodia, particularly in Kandal province, where inorganic arsenic intake from food has been found to exceed the benchmark dose lower-confidence limit (BMDL0.5) for a 0.5% increased incidence of lung cancer.
• The use of shallow tube wells for dry season irrigation has increased in Cambodia, particularly in the southern provinces, which facilitates the uptake of arsenite (AsIII) by rice plants under flooded anoxic conditions.
• Stakeholders in Cambodia are generally aware of arsenic risks in drinking water, but there is significantly lower awareness and attention regarding rice as a pathway for arsenic exposure.
• There is a critical lack of traceability in the rice supply chain, making it difficult to determine the risk of arsenic exposure for consumers of rice sold in markets, especially in Phnom Penh and nearby towns.
• Economic concerns regarding the impact of arsenic contamination on rice exports appear to be a higher priority for stakeholders than the associated public health risks.
• Proposed mitigation strategies include developing surface water irrigation, switching to crops with higher economic value and lower arsenic uptake, and using rice cultivars that accumulate less arsenic.

APA

Pravalprukskul, P., Aung, M. T., & Wichelns, D. (2018). Arsenic in rice: state of knowledge and perceptions in Cambodia. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/181109b-gill-may-rice-arsenic-wp-1809f.pdf

Chicago

Pravalprukskul, Pin, May Thazin Aung, and Dennis Wichelns. Arsenic in rice: state of knowledge and perceptions in Cambodia. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2018. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/181109b-gill-may-rice-arsenic-wp-1809f.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Pravalprukskul |first1=Pin |last2=Aung |first2=May Thazin |last3=Wichelns |first3=Dennis |title=Arsenic in rice: state of knowledge and perceptions in Cambodia |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=November 2018 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/181109b-gill-may-rice-arsenic-wp-1809f.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{pravalprukskul2018arsenic, author = {Pravalprukskul, Pin and Aung, May Thazin and Wichelns, Dennis}, title = {{Arsenic in rice: state of knowledge and perceptions in Cambodia}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2018}, month = nov, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/181109b-gill-may-rice-arsenic-wp-1809f.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }