Blog 13:Ten Percent of China’s Rice Production Polluted by Harmful Heavy Metals, Say Researchers

Researchers in china warn that almost ten percent of rice produced in china may contain harmful heavy metals. It is unlikely to enter international market since it is consumed domestically but it still endangers the health of domestic consumers.
China produces almost one hundred and forty tons of rice each year, according to statistics that about fourteen million tons of polluted rice that is consumed each year. Even the tight of rice is affected, because many times long grained rice absorbs more than regular rice. Chinas rapid industrialization has led to heavy metals such as cadmium and mercury to be released into the atmosphere and pollute china’s land. Many farmers eat their own crops contaminated with these highly toxic metals. People who have eaten the polluted rice have shown signs of pain and inability to walk properly. Cadmium can be expelled from the body naturally but it accumulates in the liver and kidneys, years of contamination would led to disease and abnormal body functions.
This article brings up tough questions, should officials do something about the pollution. how does one determine where the pollution is coming from and who to correctly punish someone for polluting crop land. If this news had been in America there would be a outrage, we get our food from different countries, the article has said that the rice is only used locally but it makes you wonder where we are getting our food from and what environment our food is being produced in. this article takes on



http://oryza.com/Rice-News/14815.html