Latest news with #LewisZiska
The Hindu
08-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Is climate change increasing the levels of toxic arsenic in our rice?
When it comes to food, most Indians cannot imagine a day without rice. Lunch is rice, and rice is lunch – and rice is also sometimes breakfast or dinner or just part of a number of other food items we consume. But how healthy is the rice we are eating? Scientists have known for a while now that a lot of rice contains some amount of arsenic. A new study that was published in The Lancet Planetary Health last month, however, had some newer, more worrying findings: it found that with rising carbon emissions and rising temperatures, the arsenic levels in rice will rise. The study was conducted over a 10-year period on 28 different strains of paddy rice at four different locations in China. Arsenic is a known carcinogen – it is linked to cancers including lung and bladder cancer as well as to other serious health conditions. So what does this study mean for India, which is a large rice-growing and rice-eating country and one that is also experiencing climate change effects? What does arsenic do to your body in the long term? Are there methods to grow rice that decrease the amount of arsenic in it? What can you do to make the rice you are eating at home safer? Guests: Lewis Ziska, associate rofessor, environmental health sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University and Keeve Nachman, professor of environmental health and engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Host: Zubeda Hamid Edited by Jude Francis Weston Listen to more In Focus podcasts:
The Hindu
21-04-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Study links climate change with rising arsenic levels in rice, increasing cancer risks for Asians
Climate change could be resulting in higher levels of arsenic in rice, potentially increasing lifetime cancer and health risks for people in Asian countries by 2050, according to a new study published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal. Rising arsenic levels in rice Researchers from Columbia University, US, explained that 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 known to increase inorganic arsenic in rice. An increased exposure to arsenic is known to heighten the risk of cancers of the lung, bladder and skin, among others. Rice can also absorb additional arsenic from water used for cooking. "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. Health risks and projections "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. Studies have revealed rice consumption to be a major health threat to people in South and Southeast Asian countries, including India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam, where rice is the staple food. The combined effects of rising CO2 and temperatures on arsenic accumulation in rice have not been studied in detail until now, the team said. In this study, the researchers measured the effects of rising temperatures and carbon dioxide on 28 rice strains over 10 years in the field. Using models, inorganic arsenic doses and health risks for seven Asian countries -- Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Vietnam -- were estimated. "We found that temperature and CO2 act synergistically to increase arsenic concentrations in rice, compounding dietary arsenic exposures for rice consumers and leading to projected cancer cases in the tens of millions among populations of Asian countries in 2050," according to the study. Projected average cases of bladder and lung cancer in 2050 were found to increase in proportion with exposure to arsenic, with the highest risk projections (44 per cent) seen for rising temperatures and carbon dioxide levels. 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. "Emerging evidence also suggests that arsenic exposure may be linked to diabetes, adverse pregnancy outcomes, neurodevelopmental issues, and immune system effects," Ziska said. Mitigation strategies The authors suggested measures to reduce arsenic exposure, including breeding plants to minimise arsenic uptake and improved soil management in rice paddies, along with public health initiatives.
News18
21-04-2025
- Health
- News18
Climate Change Increasing Risk Of Cancer From Rice, Says Report
Climate change raises arsenic in rice, boosting cancer risks. A Lancet study predicts 1 in 5 will face cancer by 2050. India, producing 27% of rice, faces health concerns Scientists have made a shocking revelation that climate change is increasing arsenic levels in rice, which is one of the main causes of cancer. A study published in the Lancet Planetary Health Journal has found that by 2050, one in every five people globally will suffer from cancer at some stage in their life. The study indicates that the ability of rice plants to absorb arsenic will increase, with a 2-degree rise in global temperatures leading to changes in soil structure and higher carbon dioxide levels. Rice production is significant worldwide, with 540 million metric tonnes produced annually, and India accounting for 27% of this yield. Rice is a staple food globally, but the increasing arsenic levels pose serious health risks. Lewis Ziska, Associate Professor of Environmental Health at Columbia University, stated that arsenic is already a known pollutant in rice-growing areas in Asia, particularly Southeast Asia. He warned that climate change will exacerbate this issue, leading to increased health hazards such as cancer and heart disease. Arsenic is primarily found in contaminated soil and irrigation water, and as carbon dioxide levels rise, the structure of rice plants will change, enhancing their ability to absorb arsenic. Cooking rice with arsenic-contaminated water further heightens the risk. The study highlights that increased temperature and carbon dioxide levels will elevate arsenic content in rice, raising dietary arsenic risks for rice consumers. This alarming trend suggests that by 2050, millions of people in Asian countries may face heightened cancer risks, including lung and prostate cancer. China alone could see an estimated 13.4 million arsenic-related cancer cases by mid-century. Additionally, the prevalence of heart disease and diabetes may also rise.
