Monitoring arsenic species concentration in rice-based processed products distributed in South Korean markets and related risk assessment.

Rice is an important grain as a major source of carbohydrates in Asia but contains more arsenic (As) than other grains. A total of 239 rice-based processed foods (rice, n = 30; rice cake, n = 30; porridge, n = 39; noodles, n = 33; bread, n = 20; snack, n = 59; powder, n = 28) were purchased in 2019 from domestic markets to measure total As (tAs) and As species. The average tAs and inorganic As (iAs) in each sample group ranged from 20 to 180 µg/kg (porridge for baby to noodle) and 4.4-85 µg/kg (porridge for baby to powder), respectively. The correlation between the iAs and tAs was affected by the variety of ingredients, such as the presence of seaweed (tAs) and the milling type of rice (iAs). Although rice cakes and baby rice-based powders are a source of concern for both adults and children, respectively, risk assessments indicate that most rice-based foods are generally safe to consume in South Korea. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-023-01270-9.

Origin and organ-specific bioaccumulation pattern of perfluorinated alkyl substances in crabs.

Consumption of seafood is a major contributor to perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) exposure. Crabs contain high levels of PFASs, and different PFASs are concentrated in their tissues depending on their habitat. Despite South Korea importing huge quantities of crabs, no investigation has been conducted on the effect of PFAS exposure. This study investigated the risk of exposure to PFASs when ingesting crabs. To determine the risk of exposure, 19 different PFAS species were measured in the edible parts (body, legs, offal, and eggs) of crabs originating from South Korea (n = 17), China (n = 14), India (n = 7), and Pakistan (n = 31), which were distributed in the fish markets of South Korea. The results revealed that, in contrast to short-chain PFASs, long-chain PFASs (PFCAs≥8, PFSAs≥6, and perfluorooactane sulfonamidoacetic acids (FOSAAs)≥8) were detected in crab samples from all four countries of origin, and in all the edible parts except for the legs. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA; 16.9 ng/g in South Korea, 9.42 ng/g in China) and perfluoro-n-tridecanoic acid (PFTrDA; 5.35 ng/g in South Korea, 2.40 ng/g in China) were the predominant perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) detected in the crabs originating from South Korea and China, and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS; 7.02 ng/g in Pakistan, 5.88 ng/g in India) was the predominant perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFSAs) detected in crabs originating from Pakistan and India. These results indicate that PFASs that are accumulated in crabs differ depending on the ocean from which they originate. The concentrations of PFOA and PFOS were significantly higher in the eggs and offal than in the legs and body of the crab. The average daily intake of PFOA and PFOS in South Koreans ranges from 0.01% to 0.07% based on the tolerable daily intake of EFSA and MFDS. These results establish the PFAS profiles and risk assessment of crabs that are distributed in South Korea.

Comparing levels of perfluorinated compounds in processed marine products.

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are widely distributed in nature and have many applications due to their unique chemical and physicochemical properties. While, PFCs are present in soil, water, and air, their pathway for entry into the human body is circumstantially via contaminated food. The demand for seafood has been increasing. In this study, we investigated via LC-MS/MS, the content of 19 different types of PFCs in 302 samples belonging to five different categories of the typical South Korean seafood. The highest levels of PFOA, PFTrDA, PFOS, and PFPeA were found in dried seafood, canned and salted seafood, processed fish food, and seasoned laver, respectively. The levels of PFOA and PFOS were compared on the basis of various criteria including the nomenclature, biological classification, and habitat of the source of seafood. High levels of PFOA and PFOS were detected in anchovy, sea squirt, and mackerel based on the nomenclature of raw seafood, in crustaceans based on the biological classification, and in demersal organisms based on the habitat. The human intake values of PFOA and PFOS from the processed marine products in South Korea were lower than the tolerable daily intake, indicating that the consumption of these processed seafood poses no immediate harm.