Like many people, you may have embraced the idea of switching to organic foods. At the very least, these products have a lower carbon footprint because impacts to the environment are minimized. However, discerning news comes from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences at Dartmouth College regarding its safety.
Researchers identified arsenic in organic brown rice syrup, a sugar substitute for high fructose corn syrup. Traces exceeding the EPA’s safe drinking water standards were found in a variety of foods, including infant formula and energy bars.
How Arsenic Gets Into Foods
Arsenic is a naturally-occurring chemical in the environment. It is part of the soil and bedrock. It can also leach into the surrounding area from pressure-treated wood products. Its presence, therefore, is not unheard of, but is nevertheless, alarming.
The problem with arsenic is that it is undetectable. You cannot taste, smell or see it in the foods you eat. The only way it can be identified is through laboratory testing. The EPA monitors the amount present in drinking water. However, regulations for foods do not exist.
Health Effects of Arsenic
The connection between arsenic and cancer has been documented for over 100 years. The most common forms are skin, lung, liver and bladder. Even low levels of exposure present a risk over the long term. These factors make the presence of arsenic in foods especially insidious.
Removal of Arsenic
Since arsenic exists in the environment, complete removal is not possible. Depending upon its form, removal can be relatively easy or more difficult. Surface water sources like lakes and streams contain more an oxygen-rich form of arsenic that can be removed using water treatment options such as reverse osmosis or ion exchange.
Arsenic from groundwater sources is a greater challenge, requiring the addition of other chemicals to convert it into the oxygenated form. Then, it can be safely removed using the previously mentioned methods.
The findings of the Dartmouth study point to a serious gap in food regulation. An unseen enemy that can kill with low rates of exposure is especially dangerous for all members of society. Perhaps the data uncovered by researchers can prompt regulation for this deadly toxin.
