Rice is the single largest dietary source of inorganic arsenic for most people, with concentrations ranging from about 92 parts per billion (ppb) in white rice to 154 ppb in brown rice. But arsenic shows up in a surprisingly wide range of foods, from apple juice to seaweed to wine. The type of arsenic matters: inorganic arsenic is the form linked to health problems, while the organic arsenic found in most seafood is largely harmless.
Why Rice Tops the List
Rice absorbs more arsenic than virtually any other crop. The reason is straightforward: rice grows in flooded paddies, and waterlogged soil undergoes chemical changes that convert arsenic into a more mobile, more toxic form. Once freed from the soil, this arsenic enters rice roots through the same channels the plant uses to absorb silicon and phosphorus, nutrients it actually needs. Rice moves arsenic from roots to grain roughly four times more efficiently than wheat and eight times more than barley.
Brown rice contains significantly more arsenic than white rice because the outer bran layer, which is stripped away during polishing, concentrates the contamination. Average inorganic arsenic levels measure around 154 ppb in brown rice compared to 92 ppb in white rice. Infant rice cereals fall in between, with dry white rice cereal averaging 104 ppb and brown rice cereal averaging 119 ppb. The FDA has set an action level of 100 ppb for infant rice cereals specifically because young children eat more rice relative to their body weight.
Where your rice was grown also matters. A study comparing polished white rice from multiple countries found a sevenfold range in total arsenic content. Rice from Egypt (0.04 mg/kg) and India (0.07 mg/kg) had the lowest levels, while rice from the United States (0.25 mg/kg) and France (0.28 mg/kg) had the highest. Basmati rice from India and Pakistan and jasmine rice from Thailand tend to be lower-arsenic choices. U.S.-grown rice, particularly from southern states where arsenic-based pesticides were historically used on cotton fields, consistently tests higher.
Seafood: High in Arsenic, Low in Risk
Seafood often contains more total arsenic than any other food category, but the vast majority is in organic forms, primarily a compound called arsenobetaine. This form is nontoxic and passes through the body without being metabolized. Finfish, crustaceans like shrimp and crab, and cephalopods like squid are dominated by this harmless organic arsenic.
There are a few exceptions worth knowing about. Bottom-feeding organisms can accumulate more inorganic arsenic from contaminated sediment than open-water fish. Bivalves like mussels and clams have more complex arsenic profiles, though inorganic levels are still generally low. The major outlier is hijiki seaweed (Sargassum fusiforme), which contains high total arsenic with most of it in inorganic form. Several countries have issued warnings against eating hijiki for this reason. Other types of seaweed, like nori and kelp, do not share this problem to the same degree.
Apple Juice, Wine, and Other Beverages
Apple juice became a high-profile arsenic concern after testing revealed detectable levels in many commercial brands. Arsenic enters apple juice primarily through water used in processing and through residues in orchard soil from decades of lead-arsenate pesticide use. The FDA set an action level of 10 ppb for inorganic arsenic in apple juice, which matches the EPA’s limit for drinking water.
Wine also contains measurable arsenic. Testing of commercial wines found total arsenic concentrations ranging from about 1.8 to 18 ppb, with an average around 5.5 ppb. Grape juice likely falls in a similar range. These levels are low enough that moderate consumption is not considered a significant exposure route on its own, but they contribute to the cumulative picture.
For context, the EPA’s maximum contaminant level for arsenic in public drinking water is 10 ppb. Private wells, especially in regions with naturally arsenic-rich geology, can exceed this limit and may represent a larger exposure source than food for some households.
Fruits, Vegetables, and Root Crops
Most fruits and vegetables contain very low levels of arsenic. Root vegetables like carrots can absorb arsenic from soil, but concentrations are typically well below regulatory limits unless the soil itself is heavily contaminated (such as former orchard land where arsenical pesticides were applied for decades). Even in contaminated soil, peeling carrots significantly reduces arsenic levels because the outer skin accumulates more than the interior flesh.
Leafy greens like lettuce can absorb somewhat more arsenic than root vegetables when grown in contaminated soil, but commercially grown produce on normal agricultural land carries minimal arsenic. This is not a food category most people need to worry about.
Health Risks From Long-Term Exposure
The concern with dietary arsenic is cumulative, not acute. You won’t feel sick from eating a bowl of rice. But long-term exposure to inorganic arsenic, even at low levels, is associated with skin disorders and increased risks for skin, bladder, and lung cancers, as well as cardiovascular disease. Children face additional risks: exposure during periods of active brain development has been linked to learning disabilities, behavior difficulties, and lower IQ scores.
The people most affected are those who eat rice as a daily staple. A risk analysis across five countries found that estimated excess cancer risk varied thirtyfold depending on how much rice a population consumed and how contaminated that rice was. Bangladeshi populations, who eat large quantities of locally grown rice irrigated with arsenic-laden groundwater, faced the highest estimated risk.
How to Reduce Arsenic in Your Diet
Cooking rice with extra water is the simplest and most effective strategy. Using a high water-to-rice ratio (roughly 6 parts water to 1 part rice) and draining the excess water after cooking reduces inorganic arsenic by about 45% in long-grain and basmati varieties. Rinsing rice before cooking helps less than you might expect, removing only about 10% of total arsenic in basmati and even less in other types. Still, combining rinsing with high-water cooking gives you the best reduction.
Choosing lower-arsenic rice varieties also helps. White basmati from India or Pakistan and jasmine rice from Thailand consistently test lower than U.S.-grown long-grain rice. If you eat rice frequently, rotating in other grains can meaningfully cut your exposure. Buckwheat groats average around 3 ppb of arsenic, millet groats about 5 ppb, and quinoa roughly 7 to 10 ppb depending on variety. All of these are dramatically lower than rice, which makes them useful substitutes for a few meals per week.
For young children, varying grain sources is especially worthwhile. Oat-based or multigrain infant cereals contain less arsenic than rice-based versions. If you do use rice cereal, white rice varieties come in lower than brown rice options. Limiting rice-based snacks like puffed rice cakes and rice-milk drinks further reduces a child’s total exposure.