Climate Change Could Make Rice More Toxic: A Global Health Concern

Climate change is widely recognized as a threat to global food security, but a recent study published in The Lancet Planetary Health has unveiled a disturbing new dimension: a potential rise in inorganic arsenic levels in rice. This finding underscores how climate-related shifts may not only impact the quantity of food produced, but also its safety and nutritional value.

• “Climate Change” Affects the Intensity of Rainfall and Hurricanes

• How does climate change affect mothers and children worldwide?

Rice is a dietary staple for more than 3.5 billion people across Asia, Africa, and parts of Latin America. Scientists warn that environmental changes—especially increased temperatures and atmospheric CO₂ concentrations—may accelerate the buildup of arsenic in rice grains, posing significant public health risks.

Field experiments conducted in China using Free-Air CO₂ Enrichment (FACE) technology allowed researchers to simulate future climate conditions. Their results revealed that these changes cause arsenic in the soil to become more soluble, making it more easily absorbed by rice plants. Traditional flooded rice farming methods further intensify this problem by releasing arsenic from sediments into irrigation water.

• Climate Change Threatens Planet’s Largest Freshwater Reserves

• Climate change endangers earth’s largest freshwater reserves 

Inorganic arsenic is a known human carcinogen. Even low-level, long-term exposure can lead to serious consequences such as skin, lung, and bladder cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurological impairment, and developmental issues in children. This means that rice, long regarded as a wholesome and nourishing food, could become a silent source of toxicity.

The study calls for urgent revisions in agricultural practices and food safety standards. Techniques that reduce arsenic uptake—such as alternate wetting and drying irrigation, using low-arsenic-accumulating rice varieties, and improving water quality—must be prioritized. These innovations are crucial for ensuring that rice remains safe to consume in a changing climate.

• Climate Change Accelerates… Are There Solutions? 

• How does climate change affect the acidity of the Southern Ocean?

The issue also highlights a broader question of social justice. It is the most vulnerable communities—those with limited access to healthcare and economic resources—who are likely to suffer the most. Climate change, therefore, not only amplifies environmental threats but deepens existing health and social disparities.

Moreover, the researchers urge stronger global cooperation. Policymakers, scientists, farmers, and the food industry must collaborate to monitor arsenic levels, educate the public, and implement sustainable agricultural policies that guarantee food safety.

Rice is the backbone of diets worldwide. Preserving its integrity is essential to protecting the health of billions.

• Climate change predictions… How algae help improve accuracy?

• Climate change hits Tunisian forests, afforestation key solution