GINER INC — Department of Agriculture SBIR Phase I: 8.5

Description

Rice is a major source of food in many parts of the world and its consumption can be a major contributor to the overall dietary arsenic intake in populations that are not exposed to high levels of arsenic in drinking water. Long-term arsenic exposure has been linked to increased risks of health complications including cancer, cardiovascular, and pulmonary diseases. Arsenic accumulation in rice grains occurs as both inorganic and organic arsenic species. Because inorganic arsenic compounds are substantially more toxic than organic arsenic, an accurate assessment of the health risks associated with consumption of arsenic-tainted rice is only achievable with analytical techniques that enable detection and quantification of the individual inorganic and organic arsenic species.The gold standard technique for arsenic speciation analysis involves hyphenated systems such as HPLC-ICP-MS, which involve high-resolution column separation of arsenic compounds, followed by detection. However, these techniques are expensive and labor intensive, thus analysis is often limited to centralized laboratories. As an alternative approach, Giner proposes to develop a low-cost, portable, rapid, sensitive and selective electrochemical sensor for speciation analysis of arsenic in rice and rice-based food products. This sensor will be designed for easy on-site use at food production facilities, rice crop farms, regulatory enforcement agency facilities, and analytical laboratories. A successfully developed sensor will dramatically increase access to reliable and cost effective arsenic speciation methods, and help rice crop producers and rice food processors adhere to regulatory standards currently under consideration for arsenic levels in food.