Climate change could double toxic arsenic in rice

New experiments exploring rice production in future climate conditions show rice yields could drop about 40% by 2100—with potentially devastating consequences in parts of the world that rely on the crop as a basic food source.

"I just didn't expect the magnitude of impact on
rice yield we observed," says Scott Fendorf.

What’s more, changes to soil processes due to increased temperatures will cause rice to contain twice as much toxic arsenic than the rice consumed today, according to the study, published in Nature Communications.

“By the time we get to 2100, we’re estimated to have approximately 10 billion people, so that would mean we have 5 billion people dependent on rice, and 2 billion who would not have access to the calories they would normally need,” says coauthor Scott Fendorf, professor of earth system science at Stanford University’s School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences. “We have to be aware of these challenges that are coming so we can be ready to adapt.”

Read the story from Futurity - “Climate change could double toxic arsenic in rice.”