Effects of Arsenic Compound Amendment on Arsenic Speciation in Rice Grain

Rice consumption is a major source of arsenic for Asian populations. Arsenic is present in rice grain both as inorganic arsenic and as dimethylarsinic acid (DMA). It is unclear whether DMA in rice is taken up from the soil or synthesized in planta. We investigated the effect of DMA, methylarsonic acid (MMA) and arsenite amendment on arsenic speciation in rice grain grown in soil and in solution culture. We also investigated the methylation of arsenic in solution culture under suppression of bacterial activity. When rice was grown under flooded conditions after the heading stage, DMA amendment to the soil resulted in higher DMA concentration in brown rice and rice straw. In the solution culture, not only DMA amendment but also MMA or arsenite amendment increased the DMA concentration in brown rice and rice straw. DMA was detected in the solution amended by MMA or arsenite with young rice plants. When the solution included the antibacterial agent chloramphenicol, DMA concentration in the solution decreased dramatically. When only the soil was incubated with MMA or arsenite, only a slight amount of DMA was detected in the soil. These results suggest that rice rhizosphere associated bacteria would be involved in the formation of DMA in brown rice.