Warmer temperatures and more carbon dioxide will boost levels of arsenic, a dangerous heavy metal, according to new research.
Rice, the world's most consumed grain, will become increasingly toxic as the atmosphere heats and as carbon dioxide emissions rise, potentially putting billions of people at risk of cancers and other diseases, according to new research published Wednesday in The Lancet. 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. But the way rice is grown—mostly submerged in paddies—and its highly porous texture means it can absorb unusually high levels of arsenic, a potent carcinogenic toxin that is especially dangerous for babies. Lewis Ziska, a plant physiologist and associate professor at Columbia University, has studied rice for three decades and has more recently focused his research on how climate change reduces nutrient levels across many staple crops, including rice. He teamed up with researchers from China and the U.S. to conduct a first-of-its-kind study, looking at how a range of rice species reacted to increases in temperature and carbon dioxide, both of which are projected to occur as more greenhouse gas emissions are released into the atmosphere as a result of human activities. The new study was published in The Lancet Planetary Health. Subscribe to the Daily newsletter. Fast Company's trending stories delivered to you every day Privacy Policy | Fast Company Newsletters "Previous work has focused on individual responses—some on CO2 and some on temperature, but not both, and not on a wide range of rice genetics," Ziska said. "We knew that temperature by itself could increase levels, and carbon dioxide by a little bit. But when we put both of them together, then…