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Heavy metals are a popular panic headline topic. Lead is the one that comes up the most (see here for why), but a close second is the concern about arsenic in rice. In 2021, there was a panic about this issue in baby food (rice puffs, rice cereal). In 2025, the issue turned to rice itself.
A May 2025 report from Healthy Babies, Bright Futures reported levels of arsenic in rice as high as about 140 parts per billion (ppb). To be clear: this isn’t new information. An FDA report from 2016 shows a very similar level. The levels are slightly higher in some baby food rice products, as discussed in a 2021 congressional report. Rice naturally has arsenic because of the soil in which it is grown.
Obviously, arsenic is not good for you, and less is better. However, our bodies and our kids can process some arsenic. The issue, as with lead, comes when the levels are too high to process fully. The question then becomes: how problematic are the levels we see in rice?
Heavy metals and neurodevelopment
Arsenic, in high doses at least, is associated with lower intellectual functioning. For example, data from Bangladesh, where much of the drinking water is very high in arsenic, shows that children with higher urinary arsenic concentrations have lower IQ scores. Similar data directly links arsenic in water with various cognitive measures, although this link is weaker.
The concentrations of arsenic in Bangladesh’s water are extremely high. In that second study, the average well water concentration was 120 micrograms per liter. This means that if a child had 1 liter of drinking water per day, a typical daily exposure would be 120 micrograms. The maximum levels in these studies are in the range of 800 micrograms per liter.
At lower levels, there are suggestions of a link between arsenic concentrations and IQ, but the data are less clear. A congressional report cites one study about well water in Maine (see it here), which suggests children who got their water from wells with high arsenic levels had lower IQ scores. These exposure effects are much lower than in Bangladesh (more like 10 rather than 120 micrograms), but this paper has some issues. Notably, the groups exposed to arsenic are different than others, and the exposure patterns do not make much sense.
Having said this, the evidence from Bangladesh and basic principles make it clear that inorganic arsenic can be damaging. The same is true for these other metals—lead, cadmium, and mercury. Cadmium is also common in Bangladesh, and we also see IQ effects there.
There is good reason for concern in principle. But again, we need to consider the amounts.
How much arsenic exposure do you get through rice?
In the May 2025 study of rice, the highest rice arsenic level was around 140 parts per billion (the same as a microgram per liter). In the earlier congressional data on baby foods, the worst food was a type of puff, which in one case had a concentration of 180 parts per billion.
One (adult) serving of rice weighs about 45 grams, exposing someone to 7.2 micrograms of arsenic. Baby puffs are much lighter – one serving would be about 1.2 micrograms.
The data on Bangladesh suggests kids may be getting 120 micrograms daily through water alone; adults are probably getting twice that. Even if you ate rice and puffs daily, the exposure levels are orders of magnitude lower than these high levels, where we see concern.
Yes, less arsenic is better, but these levels are still quite low.
I’m still worried, what can I do?
If you are still worried about rice, there are a few options other than not eating it. One is to cook rice in a lot of water and then drain it. This removes heavy metals, including arsenic (although it also notably removes iron). You can also choose rice grown in California, which has less arsenic on average.
The bottom line
- Rice contains arsenic; this is not a few fact, but it is true.
- At high levels, arsenic can cause development issues for children. However, these levels at which we see concerns are much higher than what you are likely to get through rice exposure.
- If you are still concerned, cooking rice in a lot of water and draining it is a cheap solution to lowering your risk.
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I think my main question is around rice rusks like mum mums and others. Since we can’t really wash them. I know you say it’s low risk however I just wonder if there is a way to know which rice rusks are made from rice that comes from California? My son just loves them so much. I sometimes give them to him multiple times a day. Unsure of that’s too much…