Climate change will make rice toxic, say researchers

Quick Summary:

Warmer temperatures and increased carbon dioxide will boost arsenic levels in rice.

But the way rice is grown—mostly submerged in paddies—and its highly porous texture mean it can absorb unusually high levels of arsenic, a potent carcinogenic toxin that is especially dangerous for babies.

Eaten every day by billions of people and grown across the globe, rice is arguably the planet’s most important staple crop, with half the world’s population relying on it for the majority of its food needs, especially in developing countries.

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Article Details

Author / Journalist: Inside Climate News

Category: Technology

Markets: United StatesBangladeshChinaIndiaIndonesiaMyanmarPhilippinesVietnam

Topics: Risk Rice Arsenic Ziska Levels Inorganic Climate Change Carbon Dioxide Research

Source Website Secure: Yes (HTTPS)

News Sentiment: Negative

Fact Checked: Legitimate

Article Type: News Report

Published On: 2025-04-17 @ 13:46:14 (1 weeks ago)

News Timezone: GMT -5:00

News Source URL: arstechnica.com

Language: English

Article Length: 113 words

Reading Time: 1 minutes read

Sentences: 36 lines

Sentence Length: 4 words per sentence (average)

Platforms: Desktop Web, Mobile Web, iOS App, Android App

Copyright Owner: © Ars Technica

News ID: 27964829

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About Ars Technica

Main Topics: Technology

Official Website: arstechnica.com

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Year Established: 1998

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News Last Updated: 16 hours ago

Coverage Areas: United States

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Publisher ID: #32

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