Rising Temperatures & CO2 Make Rice Toxic: A Global Health Threat

• A new study reveals rising temperatures and CO2 levels cause rice to absorb higher amounts of toxic inorganic arsenic.
• Long-term exposure to arsenic from rice consumption is linked to heart disease, diabetes, and various cancers.
• The problem, initially studied in China's Yangtze River Delta, is a growing threat across Asia, including India, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
• Arsenic levels in rice could reach dangerous thresholds by 2050 if greenhouse gas emissions continue unchecked.
• Solutions include reducing emissions, developing arsenic-blocking rice varieties, and choosing basmati over brown rice.

Why It Matters: Climate change is making rice toxic with arsenic, posing a severe global health risk, especially in Asia.