US research has found arsenic contamination in 100% of rice samples. Arsenic is associated with serious health risks, including cancer, and harm to the developing brain, including IQ loss. The report shows that arsenic levels have not declined over the past decade despite the US Food and Drug Administration’s awareness of the problem.Nonprofit organization Healthy Babies Bright Futures (HBBF) tests found four toxic heavy metals in rice: arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. The highest levels were detected in brown and white rice grown in the Southeast US or labeled simply as “USA” and in arborio rice from Italy.
