Arsenic is a naturally occurring chemical element that can be found in rocks, soil, water, air, and, unfortunately, food. It's highly toxic to humans and can bring about all kinds of neurological disorders and cancers. The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that long-term exposure to inorganic arsenic can lead to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, have adverse impacts on pregnancy outcomes, and trigger lung disease as well as kidney failure. Due to climate change, the amount of arsenic absorbed by rice is on the rise, posing serious health risks to crop safety and global health.
One simple solution to lowering the risk of arsenic exposure can be switching from brown rice to white rice. Brown rice still has the outer bran layer, and that's where the majority of arsenic is stored once absorbed by the rice plant. White rice has the bran removed, taking the largest carrier of arsenic out of the food.
Rice grain and white rice.Image via Canva - Photo by gaotuthien
How is arsenic on the rise from climate change?
A 2025 study by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health reported in The Lancet Planetary Health found the effects of climate change on rice are particularly alarming. Rice is grown by flooding fields with water. With rising temperatures and increasing CO₂ levels, the flooded soil can become starved of oxygen for extended periods of time. This change releases extra arsenic from the soil particles, allowing the rice roots to soak up more. Earth.com writes in a 2025 article, "Arsenic occurs naturally in many soils and waters. In paddies that stay flooded, oxygen dwindles. Iron minerals that normally bind arsenic dissolve, and arsenic becomes more mobile. Warmer conditions paired with higher CO₂ push that chemistry along, especially in fields that remain waterlogged."
What does this mean for the world?
Person eats rice.Image via Canva - Photo by kazoka30
These results are particularly concerning for Asian countries, as rice is a staple. The study projects a sharp rise in lifetime lung and bladder cancers. China is expected to see the largest increase, with an estimated 13.4 million cancers linked to the arsenic exposure from rice. Associate Professor at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health Dr. Lewis Ziska, speaking on the problem through the school website, said, "ingesting rice in regions like southern China and Southeast and South Asia is already a significant source of dietary arsenic and cancer risk." He continued, "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."
How do we protect ourselves?
Washing and rinsing rice. media1.giphy.com
Science Direct shared a 2021 Study which offered an improved approach for cooking rice that eliminates arsenic while preserving the natural nutrients. The method removes over 50% of the arsenic from brown rice and up to 74% in white rice.
- Pre-boil the rice for five minutes and drain the water. This allows the arsenic to be mostly cooked out and removed.
- Add fresh water and cook on a lower heat for the rice to absorb this new water. The process keeps the important nutrients mostly within the rice, making a healthier, safer meal.
What procedures can the world implement to tackle the problem?
The first tool to take into action is improved water management. Since paddies that are continuously flooded move more arsenic into the rice plants, periodically letting water levels drop before reflooding can introduce oxygen back into the soil. A 2022 study in the National Library of Medicine found that alternate wetting and drying had a significant positive effect.
One costly solution is better plant breeding. A 2025 study from Chhattisgarh, India, focused on arsenic accumulation within different rice genotypes. Evaluating 120 diverse rice genotypes revealed significant variation in grain arsenic concentration. The study indicates a potential for improved health and safety by selecting specific breeding varieties.
Why is it safer to eat white rice than brown rice?
Recent studies have shown that brown rice contains higher levels of inorganic arsenic than white rice. Michigan State University researchers released a 2025 study reported in Risk Analysis showing the brown rice's bran layer, which is retained during processing, contains 72-98% more inorganic arsenic. Also, brown rice contained 24% more total arsenic and 40% more inorganic arsenic when compared to white rice.
Mother and daughter eating rice meal.Image via Canva - Photo by szefei
As environmental climate changes impact the world, science hopefully can continue to find ways for us to safely adapt. Brown rice is still a nutritious option, but its higher arsenic content poses more health risks for certain populations. Adapting farming and cooking practices and switching to white rice can reduce arsenic levels and mitigate some of these risks.
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President Donald J. Trump and photo of a forest.
Public united and adamantly opposes Trump’s plan to roll back the Roadless Rule
There doesn't seem to be much agreement happening in the U.S. right now. Differing moral belief systems, economic disparity, and political divide have made a country with so many positives sometimes feel a little lost. Everyone desperately seeks a niche, a connection, or a strong sense of community to which they can feel a "part of," rather than just "apart."
But there seems to be one thing that the country strongly unites over, and that's the "Roadless Rule." With the Trump Administration attempting to roll back conservation policies that protect U.S. National Forests, Americans are saying in harmony an emphatic "No." A nonpartisan conservation and advocacy organization, the Center for Western Priorities, reviewed a comment analysis on the subject. After receiving 223,862 submissions, a staggering 99 percent are opposed to the president's plan of repeal.
What is the 'Roadless Rule' policy implemented in 2001?
The Roadless Rule has a direct impact on nearly 60 million acres of national forests and grasslands. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the rule prohibits road construction and timber harvests. Enacted in 2001, it is a conservation rule that protects some of the least developed portions of our forests. It's considered to be one of the most important conservation wins in U.S. history.
America's national forests and grasslands are diverse ecosystems, timeless landscapes, and living treasures. They sustain the country with clean water and the wood products necessary to build our communities. The National Parks protected under their umbrella offer incredible recreational retreats and outdoor adventure.
Why does the administration want to roll it back?
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins told the Department of Agriculture in a 2025 press release, “We are one step closer to common sense management of our national forest lands. Today marks a critical step forward in President Trump’s commitment to restoring local decision-making to federal land managers to empower them to do what’s necessary to protect America’s forests and communities from devastating destruction from fires." Rollins continued, “This administration is dedicated to removing burdensome, outdated, one-size-fits-all regulations that not only put people and livelihoods at risk but also stifle economic growth in rural America. It is vital that we properly manage our federal lands to create healthy, resilient, and productive forests for generations to come. We look forward to hearing directly from the people and communities we serve as we work together to implement productive and commonsense policy for forest land management.”
Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz explained the Roadless Rule frustrated land management and acts as a challenging barrier to action. It prohibits road construction needed to navigate wildfire suppression and properly maintain the forest. Schultz said, “The forests we know today are not the same as the forests of 2001. They are dangerously overstocked and increasingly threatened by drought, mortality, insect-borne disease, and wildfire. It’s time to return land management decisions where they belong – with local Forest Service experts who best understand their forests and communities."
Why are people adamantly opposed to the proposed rollback?
A 2025 article in Earthjustice, a nonprofit environmental law organization, expressed its concern over the protection of national forests covering 36 states and Puerto Rico. A rescinded rule allows increased logging, extractive development, and oil and gas drilling in previously undisturbed backcountry. Here is what some community leaders had to say about it:
President Gloria Burns, Ketchikan Indian Community, said, "You cannot separate us from the land. We depend on Congress to update the outdated and predatory, antiquated laws that allow other countries and outside sources to extract our resource wealth. This is an attack on Tribes and our people who depend on the land to eat. The federal government must act and provide us the safeguards we need or leave our home roadless. We are not willing to risk the destruction of our homelands when no effort has been made to ensure our future is the one our ancestors envisioned for us. Without our lungs (the Tongass) we cannot breathe life into our future generations.”
Linda Behnken, executive director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association, stated, "Roadbuilding damaged salmon streams in the past — with 240 miles of salmon habitat still blocked by failed road culverts. The Roadless Rule protects our fishing economy and more than 10,000 jobs provided by commercial fishing in Southeast Alaska.”
The Sierra Club's Forest Campaign Manager Alex Craven seemed quite upset, saying, "The Forest Service followed sound science, economic common sense, and overwhelming public support when they adopted such an important and visionary policy more than 20 years ago. Donald Trump is making it crystal clear he is willing to pollute our clean air and drinking water, destroy prized habitat for species, and even increase the risk of devastating wildfires, if it means padding the bottom lines of timber and mining companies.”
The 2025 recession proposal would apply to nearly 45 million acres of the national forests. With so many people writing in opposition to the consensus, the public has determined they don't want it to happen.
Tongass National Forest is at the center of the Trump administration's intention to roll back the 2001 Roadless Rule. You can watch an Alaska Nature Documentary about the wild salmon of Tongass National Forrest here:
- YouTube www.youtube.com
The simple truth is we elect our public officials to make decisions. The hope is they do this for all of our well-being, although often it seems they do not. Even though we don't have much power to control what government officials do, voicing our opinions strongly enough often forces them to alter their present course of action. With a unanimous public voice saying, "No!" maybe this time they will course correct as the public wishes.