According to the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF), concerns over the presence of Arsenic in rice have spiked since the effects of chronic inorganic arsenic poisoning have become more widely known. The BNF reveals that arsenic is a toxic metal element that’s present in air, soil and water, and is often absorbed by food crops as they grow. Arsenic is found in two forms, organic and inorganic, and the latter is of greater concern where negative health outcomes are concerned. A study in Frontiers in Physiology in 2012 explains that consuming plant crops which have had significant inorganic arsenic exposure can affect oxidative carbon metabolism, amino acid and protein relationships, nitrogen and sulfur assimilation pathways — all of which make arsenic a carcinogen.
