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April 12th, 2013 
Peter Nolan
“Such findings present a situation that is particularly worrisome given that
infants and children are especially vulnerable to the effects of lead
poisoning,” said Dr Tsanangurayi Tongesayi, from Monmouth University in New
Jersey, who led the study.
The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Chemical
Society in New Orleans.
The researchers are still in the process of analysing rice samples from
Pakistan, Brazil and other countries.
Lead accumulates slowly in the body, and can lead to nerve and kidney damage,
as well as anaemia.
One study has shown brain shrinkage in workers exposed to lead through their
occupations.
Long-term lead exposure has been linked to reduced IQ and disruptive behaviour
in children.
Rice is the staple food of around three billion people worldwide.
In the UK, the average person consumes around 5.6 kg of rice per year.
Consumption in the UK is expected to increase as the ethnic population
expands and food tastes diversify.
Rice imports account for only about 7 percent of the rice consumed in the US,
which is a major producer and exporter of the grain.
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