Inorganic arsenic (iAs) denotes the trivalent and pentavalent arsenic oxyanions that arise primarily from geogenic sources and agricultural uptake. Inorganic arsenic is classified as a human carcinogen and is the fraction of dietary arsenic that governs regulatory posture in most jurisdictions. Rice and rice-derived ingredients dominate population-level inorganic arsenic exposure from food, with apple juice and some root vegetables as secondary contributors. The distinction between inorganic and total arsenic is maintained throughout this wiki because the toxicological and regulatory implications of the two quantities differ sharply; see arsenic, total for the companion page.

Ufelle & Barchowsky 2021 supports this species page with textbook-level context on inorganic arsenic absorption, methylation, urinary excretion, skin/hair/nail biomarkers, acute and chronic toxicity, carcinogenicity, and treatment. It is a toxicology source, not a food occurrence dataset.

Status

This page is a scaffold. Regulatory rows for EU 2023/915 and FDA infant rice cereal/apple juice have been partially routed, but the full toxicology and occurrence synthesis still awaits corpus ingest.

Regulatory Limits

Jurisdiction / BodyTypeValuePage
EUBinding maximum levels in foodInfant formula powder 20 ug/kg; infant formula liquid 10 ug/kg; baby food 20 ug/kg; fruit juices/nectars 20 ug/kg; rice destined for infant/young-child food 100 ug/kg; non-parboiled milled rice 150 ug/kg; parboiled/husked rice and rice flour 250 ug/kg; rice cakes/crackers/flakes/popped rice 300 ug/kg; non-alcoholic rice-based drinks 30 ug/kgeu2023-contaminants-maximum-levels, eu2023-arsenic-rice-based-drinks
US FDAFinal guidance action levelInfant rice cereal 100 ug/kg iAsfda2020-inorganic-arsenic-infant-rice-cereal
US FDAFinal guidance action levelApple juice 10 ug/kg iAsfda2023-inorganic-arsenic-apple-juice

The EU rows are binding maximum levels. The FDA rows are final guidance action levels and should be labeled as such on product pages.

Planned sections

Toxicology, typical exposure routes, food sources (linked to ingredients), regulatory limits (linked to regulations), testing methods including speciation (linked to testing), microbiome effects (linked to microbiome), vulnerable populations, open questions, and sources.

Sources

Auto-generated from source-page frontmatter. The “Used on this page for” column is populated by the orchestrator’s POPULATE-SOURCE-LEGEND action; pending entries appear as *[awaiting synthesis]*.

#CitationYearTypeUsed on this page for
1D’Amato et al. 2026. Inorganic Arsenic in Rice-Based Beverages: Occurrence in Products Available on the Italian Market and Dietary Exposure Assessment, Foods2026Peer-reviewediAs dietary exposure estimates in rice and rice products
2WHO 2026. GEMS/Food Contaminants database heavy-metal exports, GEMS/Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment Programme2026Government datasetWHO GEMS/Food contaminants database: global iAs occurrence monitoring data across food commodities
3Dai et al. 2025. The balance between microbial arsenic methylation and demethylation in paddy soils underpins global arsenic risk and straighthead disease in rice, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences2025Peer-reviewediAs microbial methylation/demethylation: gut microbiota roles in speciation and bioaccessibility
4EPA 2025. IRIS Toxicological Review of Inorganic Arsenic, EPA/635/R-25/005Fa, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Integrated Risk Information System2025Government reportEPA IRIS toxicological review for inorganic arsenic: oral reference dose, inhalation unit risk, and dose-response derivation
5Navaretnam et al. 2025. Arsenic Speciation Using HPLC-ICP-MS in White and Brown Rice and Health Risk Assessment, Environmental Geochemistry and Health 47:4112025Peer-reviewediAs concentrations and health risk assessment in rice and rice products by ICP-MS
6Seyfferth et al. 2025. Concentrations and Health Implications of As, Hg, and Cd and Micronutrients in Rice and Emissions of CH4 From Variably Flooded Paddies, GeoHealth2025Peer-reviewediAs concentrations in rice bran (n=6)
7Thoerig et al. 2025. Assessment of arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances concentrations in human milk and infant formula in the United States: a systematic review, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 122, pp. 1006-10262025Peer-reviewedSystematic review of iAs in infant formula: synthesised occurrence, health effects, and exposure data
8Uthayarajan et al. 2025. Quality and sources of food and water consumed by people with chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology in Sri Lanka: a systematic review, Environmental Science and Pollution Research2025Peer-reviewed[awaiting synthesis]
9Yan et al. 2025. From farm to table: assessing the status and health risk assessment of heavy metal pollution in rice in Henan Province, Frontiers in Public Health2025Peer-reviewed[awaiting synthesis]
10Alrashdi et al. 2024. Chemical analysis of toxic elements: total cadmium, lead, mercury, arsenic and inorganic arsenic in local and imported rice consumed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Environmental Geochemistry and Health2024Peer-reviewed[awaiting synthesis]
11Codex 2024. Report of the 17th Session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (REP24/CF17), Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, Codex Alimentarius Commission2024Government reportCodex CCCF 2024 deliberations: iAs maximum level amendments and new commodity inclusions
12EFSA 2024. Update of the risk assessment of inorganic arsenic in food, EFSA Journal2024Government reportEFSA 2024 updated iAs risk assessment: revised BMDL01 of 0.06 µg/kg bw/day, chronic exposure, and EU occurrence data
13Kumar et al. 2024. High Arsenic Contamination in the Breast Milk of Mothers Inhabiting the Gangetic Plains of Bihar: A Major Health Risk to Infants, Environmental Health 23(1)2024Peer-reviewediAs in breast milk: concentrations and implications for infant dietary exposure
14Laoye et al. 2024. Assessment of heavy metal contamination in fish, fruits, and vegetables in Southwest Nigeria: A systematic review, F1000Research2024Peer-reviewed[awaiting synthesis]
15Limmer et al. 2024. Controlling exposure to As and Cd from rice via irrigation management, Environmental Science & Technology2024Peer-reviewed[awaiting synthesis]
16Pikounis et al. 2024. Urinary biomarkers of exposure to toxic and essential elements: A comparison of infants fed with human milk or formula, Environmental Epidemiology2024Peer-reviewediAs in breast milk: concentrations and implications for infant dietary exposure
17Sadee et al. 2024. Recent developments in speciation and determination of arsenic in marine organisms using different analytical techniques. A review, RSC Advances2024Peer-reviewed[awaiting synthesis]
18Tian et al. 2024. Efficient voltammetric analysis for total inorganic arsenic detection in rice with enhanced sensitivity and selectivity, Food Chemistry: X2024Peer-reviewedRapid analytical sensor for iAs detection in rice and rice products, cited for analytical-methods context
19Toledo et al. 2024. Essential and Toxic Elements in Infant Cereal in Brazil: Exposure Risk Assessment, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 21(4):3812024Peer-reviewediAs concentrations and health risk assessment in infant rice cereal (n=18)
20Zhao et al. 2024. Toxic Metals and Metalloids in Food: Current Status, Health Risks, and Mitigation Strategies, Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health2024Peer-reviewed[awaiting synthesis]
21EU 2023. Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915 of 25 April 2023 on maximum levels for certain contaminants in food and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006, Official Journal of the European Union2023RegulationEU Regulation 2023/915: updated maximum levels for iAs across food categories, with enforcement provisions
22FDA 2023. Action Level for Inorganic Arsenic in Apple Juice: Guidance for Industry, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition2023Government guidanceFDA analytical results for iAs in apple juice: survey data and guidance context
23Martinez-Morata et al. 2023. A State-of-the-Science Review on Metal Biomarkers, Current Environmental Health Reports, Vol. 10, No. 3, pp. 215-2492023Peer-reviewedState-of-the-science review on metal biomarkers: blood, urine, and tissue matrices for iAs exposure assessment
24Patel et al. 2023. A review on arsenic in the environment: contamination, mobility, sources, and exposure, RSC Advances2023Peer-reviewedSystematic review of iAs: synthesised occurrence, health effects, and exposure data
25Silva et al. 2023. Mycotoxins in Rice Correlate with Other Contaminants? A Pilot Study of the Portuguese Scenario and Human Risk Assessment, Toxins 2023, 15, 2912023Peer-reviewediAs concentrations and health risk assessment in rice and rice products (n=36) by ICP-MS
26Su et al. 2023. Arsenic in Brown Rice: Do the Benefits Outweigh the Risks?, Frontiers in Nutrition 10:12095742023Peer-reviewediAs concentrations in rice and rice products
27Su et al. 2023. Arsenic in brown rice: do the benefits outweigh the risks?, Frontiers in Nutrition2023Peer-reviewed[awaiting synthesis]
28Suomi et al. 2023. Cumulative risk assessment of the dietary heavy metal and aluminum exposure of Finnish adults, Environmental Science and Pollution Research2023Peer-reviewed[awaiting synthesis]
29Ulusoy 2023. Determination of toxic metals in canned tuna sold in developed and developing countries: Health risk assessment associated with human consumption, Marine Pollution Bulletin2023Peer-reviewediAs concentrations and health risk assessment in tuna (n=222) by ICP-MS
30Wehmeier et al. 2023. Detection of Inorganic Arsenic in Rice Using a Field-Deployable Method with Cola Extraction, Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry (published online 23 November 2023)2023Peer-reviewediAs concentrations in rice and rice products (n=30) by ICP-MS
31Bair 2022. A Narrative Review of Toxic Heavy Metal Content of Infant and Toddler Foods and Evaluation of United States Policy, Frontiers in Nutrition 9:9199132022Peer-reviewedSystematic review of iAs in infant cereal: synthesised occurrence, health effects, and exposure data
32FDA 2022. Total Diet Study Report: Fiscal Years 2018-2020 Elements Data, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Total Diet Study Program2022Government reportFDA Total Diet Study FY2018-2020: iAs concentrations and estimated dietary exposures across commercial food categories
33FDA 2022. FY2018-FY2020 TDS Elements Analytical Results Key, FDA Total Diet Study supporting documentation2022Government reportFDA TDS FY2018-2020 analytical key: iAs measurement LODs and QA/QC parameters by food category
34FDA 2022. FY2018-FY2020 TDS Elements Analytical Results, FDA Total Diet Study2022Government datasetFDA Total Diet Study FY2018-2020: iAs concentrations and estimated dietary exposures across commercial food categories
35Hao et al. 2022. Probabilistic health risk assessment of inorganic arsenic and some heavy metals in rice produced from a typical multi-mining county, China, Environmental Science and Pollution Research2022Peer-reviewediAs concentrations and health risk assessment in rice and rice products (n=220)
36Neuwirth et al. 2022. Cereal and Juice, Lead and Arsenic, Our Children at Risk, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19(10):57882022Peer-reviewedPediatric environmental toxicology overview: inorganic arsenic among key metals of concern during developmental exposure windows
37Balali-Mood et al. 2021. Toxic Mechanisms of Five Heavy Metals: Mercury, Lead, Chromium, Cadmium, and Arsenic, Frontiers in Pharmacology 12:6439722021Peer-reviewedMulti-metal toxicology review covering iAs: oxidative stress, DNA damage, enzyme inhibition, and carcinogenic mechanisms
38EFSA 2021. Chronic dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic, EFSA Journal2021Government reportEFSA 2021 chronic dietary exposure assessment for iAs: updated occurrence data and MOE estimates across European population groups
39Sadiq et al. 2021. Multi-elemental risk assessment of various baby rice cereals: some cause for concern?, Canadian Journal of Chemistry 99(8):742-7502021Peer-reviewediAs concentrations and health risk assessment in rice-based infant cereal (n=3)
40Thomas 2021. Arsenic Methylation — Lessons from Three Decades of Research, Toxicology 457:1528002021Peer-reviewediAs biological methylation: MMA/DMA speciation pathways, genetic polymorphisms, and toxicokinetic implications
41Carey et al. 2020. Global Sourcing of Low-Inorganic Arsenic Rice Grain, Exposure and Health2020Peer-reviewediAs concentrations in grain crops (n=1180)
42FDA 2020. Inorganic Arsenic in Rice Cereals for Infants: Action Level; Guidance for Industry, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Federal Register Notice (Docket FDA-2016-D-1099)2020Government reportFDA draft guidance on iAs in infant rice cereals: 100 ppb action level basis and analytical context
43Gu et al. 2020. Arsenic Concentrations and Dietary Exposure in Rice-Based Infant Food in Australia, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17(2):4152020Peer-reviewediAs dietary exposure estimates in rice-based infant cereal
44Coryell et al. 2019. The Human Gut Microbiome’s Influence on Arsenic Toxicity, Current Pharmacology Reports, Vol. 5, No. 6, pp. 491-5042019Peer-reviewediAs gut microbiome interactions: microbial modulation of arsenic toxicity and biotransformation
45Coryell et al. 2019. The Human Gut Microbiome’s Influence on Arsenic Toxicity, Current Pharmacology Reports 5(6):491-5042019Peer-reviewediAs gut microbiome interactions: microbial modulation of arsenic toxicity and biotransformation
46Zealand 2019. 25th Australian Total Diet Study, Food Standards Australia New Zealand2019Government reportFood Standards Australia New Zealand: iAs occurrence and dietary exposure from the 25th Total Diet Study
47Muehe et al. 2019. Rice production threatened by coupled stresses of climate and soil arsenic, Nature Communications2019Peer-reviewediAs contamination in rice and rice products from agricultural/mining areas: food-chain transfer assessment
48Carey et al. 2018. Dilution of rice with other gluten free grains to lower inorganic arsenic in foods for young children in response to European Union regulations provides impetus to setting stricter standards, PLoS ONE2018Peer-reviewediAs concentrations in grain crops (n=106)
49FDA 2018. Fiscal Year 2018 Arsenic in Infant Rice Cereals Assignment Data, U.S. Food and Drug Administration2018Government reportFDA analytical data on iAs in infant formula: measured concentrations and compliance context
50Meyer et al. 2018. Inorganic arsenic in hydrolysed rice formulas for infants, Pediatric Allergy and Immunology2018Peer-reviewediAs concentrations in infant formula (n=5)
51Signes-Pastor et al. 2018. Infants’ Dietary Arsenic Exposure During Transition to Solid Food, Scientific Reports 8(1):71142018Peer-reviewediAs concentrations in rice-based infant cereal (n=15) by ICP-MS
52Signes-Pastor et al. 2018. Infants’ dietary arsenic exposure during transition to solid food, Scientific Reports2018Peer-reviewediAs dietary exposure in infants transitioning to solid food: longitudinal urinary arsenic biomarker data linking solid food intake to exposure
53FDA 2017. Advice About Eating Fish — For Those Who Might Become or Are Pregnant or Breastfeeding and Children Ages 1 to 11 Years, U.S. FDA and U.S. EPA2017Government reportFDA/EPA fish consumption advice: iAs exposure thresholds and guidance for pregnant women and vulnerable populations
54JECFA 2017. Safety Evaluation of Certain Food Additives (Arsenic), 82nd Meeting of JECFA, WHO Food Additives Series 732017Government reportJECFA 82nd arsenic evaluation: BMDL0.5 for iAs, dietary exposure from rice and staples, withdrawal of prior PTWI
55Signes-Pastor et al. 2017. Inorganic arsenic in rice-based products for infants and young children, PLOS ONE2017Peer-reviewediAs concentrations in rice and rice products (n=73)
56Signes-Pastor et al. 2017. Urinary Arsenic Speciation in Children and Pregnant Women from Spain, Exposure and Health, Vol. 9, pp. 105-1112017Peer-reviewediAs human biomonitoring: blood/urine/tissue concentrations as exposure indicators
57Carignan et al. 2016. Potential Exposure to Arsenic from Infant Rice Cereal, Annals of Global Health, Vol. 82, No. 12016Peer-reviewediAs concentrations in rice-based infant cereal
58Carignan et al. 2016. Contribution of breast milk and formula to arsenic exposure during the first year of life in a U.S. prospective cohort, Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, Vol. 26, No. 5, pp. 452-4572016Peer-reviewediAs in breast milk: concentrations and implications for infant dietary exposure
59FDA 2016. Analytical Results: Inorganic Arsenic in Infant/Toddler Foods (2016), US Food and Drug Administration2016Government datasetFDA monitoring of iAs in rice and rice-based products: analytical results and regulatory context
60FDA 2016. Arsenic in Rice and Rice Products Risk Assessment Report, US Food and Drug Administration2016Government reportFDA monitoring of iAs in rice and rice-based products: analytical results and regulatory context
61FDA 2016. Analytical Results from Inorganic Arsenic in Rice Cereals for Infants, Non-Rice Infant Cereal and Other Foods Commonly Eaten by Infants and Toddlers, U.S. Food and Drug Administration2016Government datasetFDA analytical data on iAs in infant formula: measured concentrations and compliance context
62FSA 2016. Survey of metals in commercial infant foods, infant formula and non-infant specific foods, UK Food Standards Agency report FS1020482016Government reportUK Food Standards Agency 2016 survey: iAs concentrations in infant foods and formula
63Llorente-Mirandes et al. 2016. Inorganic Arsenic Determination in Food: A Review of Analytical Proposals and Quality Assessment Over the Last Six Years, Applied Spectroscopy2016Peer-reviewediAs concentrations in rice and rice products
64Shibata et al. 2016. Risk Assessment of Arsenic in Rice Cereal and Other Dietary Sources for Infants and Toddlers in the U.S., International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 13(4):3612016Peer-reviewediAs concentrations and health risk assessment in rice-based infant cereal
65Signes-Pastor et al. 2016. Geographical variation in inorganic arsenic in paddy field samples and commercial rice from the Iberian Peninsula, Food Chemistry2016Peer-reviewediAs concentrations in rice and rice products (n=164) by ICP-MS
66Signes-Pastor et al. 2016. Inorganic arsenic in rice-based products for infants and young children, Food Chemistry2016Peer-reviewediAs concentrations in rice and rice products
67Carey et al. 2015. Evaluating the effectiveness of filters and cooking procedures for reducing inorganic arsenic (iAs) in rice in the context of providing healthy food for infants, PLOS ONE2015Peer-reviewediAs concentrations in rice and rice products (n=41)
68Carignan et al. 2015. Estimated Exposure to Arsenic in Breastfed and Formula-Fed Infants in a United States Cohort, Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 123, No. 5, pp. 500-5062015Peer-reviewedProtective effect of breastfeeding on infant iAs exposure: biomonitoring comparison vs formula-fed infants
69Carignan et al. 2015. Arsenic Exposure in Infancy: Estimating the Contributions of Well Water and Human Milk, Environmental Health Perspectives 123(12):1281–12872015Peer-reviewediAs in breast milk: concentrations and implications for infant dietary exposure
70Schmidt 2015. Arsenic Exposure in Infancy, Environmental Health Perspectives 123(7):A168–A1732015NewsiAs data: Science journalism commentary piece in EHP summarizing research on infant arsenic exposure from breast milk, formula, and well water.
71CR 2014. Analysis of Arsenic in Rice and Other Grains, Consumer Reports Food Safety and Sustainability Center2014IndustryConsumer Reports analytical testing: iAs concentrations in infant cereal, with brand-range context and public-health commentary
72Islam et al. 2014. Availability of Arsenic in Human Milk in Women and Its Correlation with Arsenic in Urine of Breastfed Children Living in Arsenic Contaminated Areas in Bangladesh, Environmental Health 13(1):1012014Peer-reviewediAs in breast milk: concentrations and implications for infant dietary exposure
73FDA 2013. Analytical Results from Inorganic Arsenic in Rice and Rice Products Sampling, September 2013, U.S. Food and Drug Administration2013RegulationFDA monitoring of iAs in rice and rice-based products: analytical results and regulatory context
74Lasky et al. 2013. Arsenic Levels in Chicken (correspondence: Lasky letter and Nachman et al. response), Environmental Health Perspectives2013Peer-reviewediAs concentrations in meat
75Jackson et al. 2012. Arsenic, Organic Foods, and Brown Rice Syrup, Environmental Health Perspectives2012Peer-reviewediAs concentrations in brown rice syrup
76Jackson et al. 2012. Arsenic concentration and speciation in infant formulas and first foods, Pure and Applied Chemistry, Vol. 84, No. 2, pp. 215-2232012Peer-reviewediAs concentrations in powdered infant formula by ICP-MS
77Jackson et al. 2012. Arsenic, Organic Foods, and Brown Rice Syrup, Environmental Health Perspectives 120(5):623–6262012Peer-reviewediAs concentrations in brown rice syrup (n=29) by ICP-MS
78Awata et al. 2011. Association of Dietary Intake and Biomarker Levels of Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, and Mercury among Asian Populations in the United States: NHANES 2011–2012, Environmental Health Perspectives2011Peer-reviewedNHANES iAs biomonitoring in Asian-American subpopulations: blood/urinary concentrations and dietary intake associations
79FDA 2011. Results of Arsenic Analysis in Single-Strength Apple Juice 2011 (ORA Sampling Assignment 2011102701), U.S. Food and Drug Administration2011Government datasetFDA analytical results for iAs in apple juice: survey data and guidance context
80EFSA 2009. Scientific Opinion on Arsenic in Food, EFSA Journal 2009;7(10):13512009Government reportEFSA 2009 scientific opinion on arsenic in food: BMDL01 derivation and dietary exposure assessment, context for iAs on this page
81Meharg et al. 2009. Geographical Variation in Total and Inorganic Arsenic Content of Polished (White) Rice, Environmental Science & Technology2009Peer-reviewediAs concentrations in rice and rice products (n=901)
82Fångström et al. 2008. Breast-Feeding Protects against Arsenic Exposure in Bangladeshi Infants, Environmental Health Perspectives 116(7):963–9692008Peer-reviewediAs: breastfeeding protective against infant arsenic exposure in high-As Bangladesh cohort; urinary arsenic lower in exclusively breastfed infants
83Zavala et al. 2008. Arsenic in Rice: II. Arsenic Speciation in USA Grain and Implications for Human Health, Environmental Science & Technology2008Peer-reviewediAs concentrations in grain crops (n=105)
84ATSDR 2007. Toxicological Profile for Arsenic, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry2007Government reportATSDR toxicological profile for arsenic2007 cited for comparative context on the inorganic arsenic page
85Williams et al. 2007. Market Basket Survey Shows Elevated Levels of As in South Central U.S. Processed Rice Compared to California: Consequences for Human Dietary Exposure, Environmental Science and Technology2007Peer-reviewediAs dietary exposure estimates in rice and rice products
86EPA 2001. EPA Drinking Water Arsenic MCL Rule (10 ppb), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency2001Government reportEPA drinking water MCL for arsenic (10 µg/L): regulatory standard and risk basis for iAs dietary exposure comparisons
87Codex 1995. General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and Feed (CXS 193-1995), Codex Alimentarius (Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme)1995Government reportCodex General Standard for Contaminants (CXS 193): iAs maximum levels across food commodities
88California Office of Environmental. Arsenic (inorganic Arsenic Compounds) — Proposition 65 Chemical Listing, California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, Proposition 65 ListingsGovernment reportCalifornia Proposition 65: inorganic arsenic NSRL/MADL regulatory values and listing basis for consumer-product compliance