Sustainable solutions to arsenic accumulation in rice grown in south and south-east Asia

Abstract

Widespread distribution, toxicity and exposure through rice and rice-based food products make arsenic (As) contamination of environment a serious issue. This review discusses various strategies that can be utilised to tackle the As problem in rice, and the socioeconomic impacts of the As problem. The countries of south and south-east Asia are renowned as hotspots of As contamination owing to occurrence and enrichment of As in soil and groundwater via natural biogeochemical weathering of rocks and As-enriched sediment. The irrigation of rice is mostly applied through the use of contaminated groundwater leading to high As accumulation in rice grains. The intensification of research to address the problem of As in rice has been seen in the past two decades. It has been realised that appropriate irrigation water management, which acts as a major driver of As chemistry in soil and As uptake and transport in plants, can be an easy and affordable solution. Further, balanced supplement of various nutrient elements like selenium (Se), silicon (Si), sulfur (S), nitrogen (N), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) has been found to impart dual benefits in terms of reduced As toxicity as well as enhance the nutritional quality of rice grains. Several other agronomic and biotechnological approaches, processing, and cooking methods of rice were found to have profound impacts on rice As and its speciation from farms to table.