arsenic in rice

November 25, 2012 by ninanattiv 6 Comments

Consumer Reports recently published a comprehensive article that finds potentially toxic levels of arsenic in rice. They are trying to push the EPA to set limits for how much arsenic can be found in rice and to set guidelines for how much arsenic a person can consume before it reaches toxic levels. I always remind myself that the EPA, while it is supposed to protect the consumer, also answers to the producers; so whatever limits they set are probably a little higher than I would feel comfortable with. As for the producers? I don’t trust them at all.

My overall recommendation, if you want to skip the rest of this, is this: limit adult consumption of rice to about half a cup of cooked rice a few days a week, limit children’s consumption of rice to less than that, and limit infant consumption of rice cereal to one serving several times a week. The recommendations that follow are from the Consumer Reports article and a list of rice products and the arsenic levels found in them can be found in the first link listed in resource (it’s the consumer reports link).

Keep in mind that I have no idea how much rice-product your infant normally eats, or how much rice you are used to eating at home. If it is going to overly burden you to find other healthy foods to eat, then just reduce your intake a little. The truth is that you can’t avoid every toxin and we don’t know that the foods you choose to substitute rice with aren’t also contaminated with something.

Background: Arsenic, whether it is natural, man-made, organic or inorganic, can be found in the soil or water due to weathering of arsenic-containing minerals in the earth, from decades of pesticides and insecticides that have lingered in agricultural soil, and from fertilizer made from the waste animals fed arsenical ingredients to prevent diseases (and then, ha ha, because we are not the brightest species, cause diseases). These forms of arsenic are considered very toxic. Arsenical ingredients are still used in animal feed, pressure treated wood, and random industrial processes; but were banned as a pesticide and ant-killer in 1991.

Children are less able than adults to process arsenic, consequently having more persistent concentrations of the toxic metal. This is a time when cells are differentiating into organs and many other important developmental things are going on, so getting exposed to a toxic agent like arsenic in utero or during early childhood can cause damage that may not appear until decades later.

Chronic exposure may cause generalized fatigue, malaise, malnutrition and increase risk of infections (particularly pneumonia), and it has been associated with increased risk of diabetes mellitus. Chronic exposure of arsenic is known to cause bladder, lung and skin cancer. It is also associated with an excess risk of AML (a childhood leukemia), aplastic anemia (when your bone marrow doesn’t produce enough red blood cells) and cancers of the kidney and liver.

Arsenic in the water supply: At the current federal water standard of 10 ppb, the risk of cancer is estimated at 1-3 in 1,000. Even arsenic concentrations of of 3 ppb are associated with a lifetime risk of cancer at 4-10 per 10,000. Given that federal standards for environmental carcinogens historically have been set at concentrations that produce a cancer risk of 1 in 1 million, the allowable amount of arsenic in drinking water confers an unusually high risk. New Jersey has the strictest limits for arsenic in water at 5 ppb.

Arsenic in rice: Rice and other types of rice products (rice cereal, rice drinks…) contain arsenic, many at worrisome levels. Rice absorbs and stores arsenic from soil or water much more effectively than most plants. Brown rice has higher arsenic than white because the arsenic concentrates in the outer layer of the grain. Even just washing rice thoroughly can reduce arsenic levels.

People who eat rice have been found to have higher arsenic levels (even more than with juice) than non-rice eaters. Consuming half a cup of cooked rice per day is the equivalent of drinking a liter of water containing 10 ppb arsenic (the federal limit for arsenic in water).

Some infant rice cereals have levels of inorganic arsenic at least five times more than has been found in alternatives such as oatmeal. Some infants eat up to two to three servings of rice cereal a day, a rate that could result in a risk of cancer twice our acceptable level (10 ppb). To reduce arsenic risks, babies should eat no more than 1 serving of infant rice cereal per day on average. And their diets should include cereals made of wheat, oatmeal, or corn grits, which contain significantly lower levels of arsenic, according to federal information.

Children under the age of 5 should not have rice drinks as part of a daily diet. In the United Kingdom, children younger than 4½ years are advised against having rice milk because of arsenic concerns.

Arsenic in other foods: Rice is not the only source of arsenic in food. A 2009-10 study from the EPA estimated that rice and rice products contributes 17-50% of dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic; the other sources being fruit, fruit juice (which kids shouldn’t be drinking anyway because they are not nutritionally necessary and cause dental decay), and vegetables. For example, arsenic might be found in high concentrations in potato skins, but this hasn’t been proven. You might want to peel your potato skins to be sure. Arsenic can also be found in alternative medications including Chinese medicines and herbal remedies. Naturally occurring organic arsenic is found in shellfish and is considered non-toxic.

Arsenic in pressure treated wood: Inorganic arsenic is still used as a wood preservative in pressure treated wood to avoid termite problems. The arsenic can get on the kids’ hands either from leaching into the soil or from rubbing the wood, and then gets into the mouth because kids are always putting their hands in their mouths. Sawing or burning this treated wood can lead to even more arsenic exposure. Avoid planting fruits or veggies in soil that is touching the treated wood. You can buy wood treated with alternative chemicals, coat the wood yearly to avoid leaching, or use a tablecloth for tables.

Sources:

Pediatric Environmental Health 2nd Edition, American Academy of Pediatrics, 2003.  Roy trained under one of the editors of this book.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2012/11/arsenic-in-your-food/index.htm#chart

http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/rulesregs/sdwa/arsenic/index.cfm

http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm319827.htm

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rachel-lincoln-sarnoff/arsenic-in-rice_b_1911303.html