About one sixth of global cropland is contaminated by toxic heavy metals, researchers have estimated, with as many as 1.4 billion people living in high-risk areas worldwide.
Approximately 14 to 17% of cropland globally – roughly 242m hectares – is contaminated by at least one toxic metal such as arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, nickel or lead, at levels that exceed agricultural and human health safety thresholds.
The analysis collected data from more than 1,000 regional studies across the globe, as well as using machine learning technology.
Dr Liz Rylott, a senior lecturer in the department of biology at the University of York, who was not involved in the research, said: “These findings reveal the deeply worrying extent to which these natural poisons are polluting our soils, entering our food and water, and affecting our health and our environment.
As someone in the industry, I hate these articles. Yes, heavy metals matter and generally come from over usage of pesticides… But this article does what many are doing lately… Not giving values. Some heavy metals are naturally occuring and are at low levels with no risk… Without values this is bullshit. Reminds me of the girl scout cookies thing…
don’t have the exact numbers but in the United States we have lowered by a percent or so or more the allowable heavy metals and such because of polluted soil not naturally occurring ones and how it is impossible with current technology to remove such impurities
the cannabis industry in the US has stricter rules and allows fewer heavy metals than is allowed in the food we consume with more stringent testing being required by third party labs
lot of spices just like tobacco for example are grown in India where industry are able to pollute the soils more with less government oversight leading to fake vanilla extract which is done with green chemistry to be a cleaner product as is synthetic nicotine (this does not include Metatine which is not a synthetic but more a nicotine alternative replacement and is not safe or healthier)
heavy metals and pollutants in food is very much a ginormous issue with nothing being done except lowering the standards to match our current predicament just like we solve our other problems
agree about the natural levels in soil but that is not an issue as you stated but the concern is the high percentage that is allowed and is in there because of human activities
gotta keep lowering the bar so we stay ahead of the issues
(am in the industry too)
@verdantbanana maybe i wasn’t super clear… my issue isn’t with heavy metals and what we should do about them. my issue with the article is that it lacks actual data what one could compare with regulatory levels globally… like regardless if it’s true, my beef is with the lack of meat to the article.
