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I’d heard US rice was heavily contaminated with arsenic due to having been planted in regions that formerly grew cotton. And cotton was once treated with arsena
by sevensor 1y ago
I’d heard US rice was heavily contaminated with arsenic due to having been planted in regions that formerly grew cotton. And cotton was once treated with arsenates to control boll weevil (https://a-c-s.confex.com/a-c-s/2005am/techprogram/P4552.HTM https://a-c-s.confex.com/a-c-s/2005am/techprogram/P4552.HTM)
I was surprised not to see this reflected in the map
- dyauspitr 1y agoUS, Chinese and Bangladeshi rice have the highest levels. Especially in brown rice. Strangely California white basmati has relatively low levels.
- toast0 1y agoCalifornia rice having low levels fits with sevensor's theory about boll weevil control with arsenates on fields used for cotton and later for rice. This report [1] says that boll weevils weren't an issue in California cotton fields, and that likely means arsenates wouldn't have been used, so if those fields switch to rice, they won't have high levels of arsenic from previous insecticide application. https://apps1.cdfa.ca.gov/FertilizerResearch/docs/Cotton_Production_CA.pdf https://apps1.cdfa.ca.gov/FertilizerResearch/docs/Cotton_Pro...