Analytical Evaluation of Aflatoxins and Heavy Metals Contamination of Some Paddy fields in the Middle Euphrates Iraq

Abstract

Total aflatoxins, aflatoxin B1, and heavy metals, lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd), were estimated in some paddy, soil, and irrigation water sample taken from seven fields of Al-Diwaniyah and Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf provinces of Iraq. Fifty-one paddy samples, 45 soil samples, and 9 irrigation water samples were analyzed for totale aflatoxins and aflatoxine B1 while, 32 samples of paddy, 24 samples of soil, and 6 samples of irrigation water were investigated for heavy metals. Five paddy samples were processed to produce rice at 32 degrees of whiteness. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to detect aflatoxins, and Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) was used to detect heavy metals. Most of the paddy samples contained total aflatoxins and aflatoxin B1, which ranged from N.D-4.6770 μg/kg for total aflatoxins, N.D-1.8593 for aflatoxin B1. Two out of 51 paddy samples were overpassed the permissible limit for total aflatoxin.All produced rice samples were free of total aflatoxin and aflatoxin B1. The ranged of Lead was from 84-190 µg/kg for paddy samples, 90-147 µg/kg for rice samples and 77-155 µg/kg for soil samples.The results of cadmium concentrations ranged from 25-66 µg/kg for paddy samples, 59-72 µg/kg for rice samples and 20-99 µg/kg for soil samples. The manufacturing process of rice had a role in reducing the concentration of total aflatoxins and aflatoxin B1, while it had no specific role in reducing lead and cadmium pollution. In conclusion, paddy produced in the study area was mostly safe in terms of its content of aflatoxins and heavy metals, Pb and Cd, for 2021 season.