The world’s most consumed grain, rice, is becoming increasingly toxic due to rising temperatures and carbon dioxide emissions, posing a significant risk to the health of billions of people. A new study published in The Lancet found that climate change will increase levels of arsenic in rice grains, leading to higher risks of cancers, heart disease, and neurological problems.
Rice is grown across the globe, with half the world’s population relying on it for their food needs, particularly in developing countries. However, the way rice is grown, submerged in paddies, makes it vulnerable to absorbing high levels of arsenic, a potent carcinogenic toxin. Climate change will exacerbate this issue, as increased temperatures and carbon dioxide levels will lead to higher levels of inorganic arsenic in rice.
The study’s author, Lewis Ziska, a plant physiologist at Columbia University, warns that the toxic effects of climate change on rice will have a significant impact on human health. “Rice is consumed by a billion people every day, and any effect on toxicity is going to have a pretty damn large effect,” he said.
The researchers used controlled field trials in China and the US to test the effects of climate change on rice, finding that increased temperatures and carbon dioxide levels led to higher levels of arsenic. The study also found that disease risk rose across seven top rice-consuming countries in Asia, including Vietnam, Indonesia, and India.
Regulators have suggested exposure limits for arsenic, particularly for infants who are vulnerable to high levels of consumption. However, the US Food and Drug Administration has not set limits for arsenic in foods. The researchers call for more stringent thresholds and interventions to limit exposure to inorganic arsenic from rice.
“The number one thing we can do is everything in our power to slow climate change,” said Keeve Nachman, a professor at Johns Hopkins University. The study highlights the need for action to control people’s exposure to inorganic arsenic from rice and to address the growing threat of climate change on global food supplies.
Source: https://insideclimatenews.org/news/16042025/half-the-worlds-people-depend-on-rice-new-research-says-climate-change-will-make-it-toxic