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In India, rice is more than food—it’s tradition, livelihood, and the backbone of millions of meals. But a new study has raised serious concerns: Climate change could be making our rice more poisonous.
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A 10-year field study published in The Lancet Planetary Health has found that rising temperatures and carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels are causing rice to absorb more inorganic arsenic.
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Arsenic is a naturally occurring element found in the Earth’s crust. It seeps into soil and water from rocks and minerals over time.
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And here’s the troubling part from the study: rice soaks up more inorganic arsenic than almost any other food crop.
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The waterlogged conditions create low-oxygen environments that make it easier for arsenic trapped in soil or groundwater to be released into the water around the plant roots.
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India currently does not have formal limits for arsenic in rice—though this study may push regulators to rethink that.