Half of Residents Still Exposed to Unsafe Arsenic in Food
NonToxCo Research
Science & Safety Team · 4/7/2026
Even after a decade of regulations, 49.5% of residents in one major Chinese city are still eating enough arsenic through everyday food to exceed safe limits.
A Decade of Data on Heavy Metals in Food
Researchers tracked lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury in commercially sold food in Chongqing, China from 2012 to 2022. The good news: concentrations dropped over time. The bad news: they're still not low enough, according to a 2026 study in Sci Rep.
Cadmium still exceeded safe levels for 6.9% of the population. Arsenic was far worse, with nearly half of all residents over the safety threshold. When researchers combined all four metals together, the hazard index ranged from 1.57 to 7.60. Anything above 1.0 signals concern.
Rice and Leafy Greens Are the Biggest Sources
The study pinpointed rice and leafy vegetables as the top sources of heavy metal exposure. These are foods people eat every single day, often multiple times a day.
That means the metals aren't coming from rare or unusual foods. They're coming from the staples sitting on your kitchen counter right now.
What You Can Do
Wash and rinse produce thoroughly. Cook rice in extra water and drain it. Rotate your grains and greens so you're not overloading on one source. And consider swapping to non-toxic kitchen alternatives to cut down on contamination from your cookware too.
Also see glass food containers for safer alternatives.