A new study published in The Lancet Planetary Health suggests that climate change may contribute to elevated arsenic concentrations in rice, potentially increasing long-term cancer and health risks for people in Asian countries by 2050.
According to the researchers from Columbia University, an increase in temperatures above 2 degrees Celsius and rising levels of carbon dioxide could be causing changes in soil chemistry, favouring arsenic, which gets more easily absorbed into a rice grain. Contaminated soil and irrigated water while growing rice are also known to increase inorganic arsenic in rice.
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Elevated arsenic exposure is associated with a higher risk of developing cancers, including those of the lung, bladder, and skin. Additionally, rice can absorb further arsenic from the water it is cooked in
“Our results suggest that this increase in arsenic levels could significantly elevate the incidence of heart disease, diabetes, and other non-cancer health effects,” author Lewis Ziska, associate professor of environmental health sciences, Columbia University, said.
Researchers measured the effects of rising temperatures and carbon dioxide on 28 rice strains over 10 years and estimated the health risks for seven countries – Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
“As rice is a dietary staple in many parts of the world, these changes could lead to a substantial rise in the global burden of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and other arsenic-related health issues,” Ziska said. “Emerging evidence also suggests that arsenic exposure may be linked to diabetes, adverse pregnancy outcomes, neurodevelopmental issues, and immune system effects,” Ziska added.
China was projected to see 1.34 crore cases of cancer attributable to arsenic in rice in 2050 — the highest among the seven countries studied.
