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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Jonesboro, Arkansas » Delta Water Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #431006
Research Project: Optimizing the Management of Irrigated Cropping Systems in the Lower Mississippi River Basin

Location: Delta Water Management Research

Title: Concentrations of cadmium and arsenic species in rice from production-scale fields in Arkansas under variable water management

Author
item LIMMER, MATT - University Of Delaware
item MORENO-GARCIA, BEATRIZ - University Of Arkansas
item RUNKLE, B.R.K. - University Of Arkansas
item Reba, Michele
item SEYFFERTH, A. - Arizona State University

Submitted to: Agricultural & Environmental Letters
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/24/2026
Publication Date: 5/15/2026
Citation: Limmer, M.A., B. Moreno-Garcia, Runkle, B.R.K., M. Reba, and A. Seyfferth. Concentrations of cadmium and arsenic species in rice from production-scale fields in Arkansas under variable water management. Agricultural & Environmental Letters. Volume 11(1), e70075. https://doi.org/10.1002/ac12.70075. 2026.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ael2.70075

Interpretive Summary: Water management can impact rice grain concentrations of potentially harmful elements, including arsenic and cadmium. Rice readily accumulates arsenic when grown under flooded conditions. Water management during production has shown promise in decreasing grain arsenic. We analyzed polished white rice grain from 103 field-years of production for arsenic and cadmium. Water management in fields were classified using measured water level. Reducing the time the field was flooded using multiple aerations was able to significantly decrease arsenic. Water management did not significantly affect grain cadmium. This study provides field-scale validation of water management as a control on grain arsenic. Farmers, agencies, and organizations interested in management strategies to mitigate grain arsenic in rice will find this research of interest.

Technical Abstract: Rice readily accumulates arsenic when grown under flooded conditions, so alternative water management strategies have shown promise in decreasing grain arsenic. We analyzed polished white rice grain from 103 field-years of production for As, inorganic As, organic As, and cadmium. Fields were classified into either conventional flood, single aeration, or multiple aeration using measured water level. Only multiple aerations were able to significantly decrease grain As and inorganic As. Water management did not significantly affect grain Cd, which remained much lower than the Codex limit. Overall, 30% of rice grain samples exceeded the US FDA limit for inorganic As of 0.1 mg/kg in infant rice cereals. When multiple samples were obtained from each field, the relative standard deviation of grain As was 20%, while year-to-year variability was slightly higher than within-field, within-year variability. This study provides field-scale validation of water management as a control on grain As, although multiple aerations were necessary.