Heavy Metals in Rice: Arsenic Levels by Type & How to Reduce Them (2026)

Heavy metals in rice, above all inorganic arsenic, make rice the most-tested grain in the food supply, and for good reason. Rice absorbs arsenic from soil and water roughly ten times more efficiently than other grains, which means the world's most widely eaten staple is also the largest dietary source of inorganic arsenic for many families.

That's the concern. Here's the context: arsenic levels in rice vary several-fold by type and growing region, and how you cook rice can remove up to half of the arsenic in it. This guide covers what testing shows, which rice to buy, and exactly how to reduce your exposure without giving up rice.

Why does rice absorb more arsenic than other grains?

Two reasons, both about how rice is grown.

First, rice is cultivated in flooded paddies. Waterlogged, low-oxygen soil chemically converts arsenic into forms the rice plant readily takes up through its roots. Second, rice is simply efficient at transporting arsenic into its grain. The result, per the FDA's arsenic in food overview and research compiled by Dartmouth's Arsenic and You project, is that rice accumulates arsenic at levels far above wheat, oats, or barley, commonly cited at around ten times more.

The arsenic itself comes from both natural geology and human legacy: arsenical pesticides used for decades on US cotton fields (now rice fields in the south-central states), mining runoff, and naturally arsenic-rich groundwater used for irrigation.

Rice can also carry cadmium. A 2025 Healthy Babies Bright Futures rice report found arsenic in every store-bought rice sample it tested, with cadmium the second most common metal, but inorganic arsenic drives most of the risk.

How much arsenic is in rice, by type?

The most comprehensive public dataset remains Consumer Reports' testing of hundreds of rice samples, which found consistent patterns by rice type and origin:

Exact ppb numbers vary batch to batch, which is why single-sample headlines can mislead. What holds up across studies is the ranking: origin and type predict arsenic far better than brand or price.

Is brown rice higher in arsenic than white rice?

Yes. Arsenic concentrates in the outer bran layer, the very part that makes brown rice "whole grain." Milling that layer off to make white rice removes a substantial share of the arsenic, which is why brown rice consistently tests higher than white rice from the same region. Consumer Reports found brown rice carries meaningfully more inorganic arsenic than its white counterpart, with brown basmati from California, India, or Pakistan the best brown-rice option.

That doesn't make brown rice off-limits; it's more nutritious in fiber and minerals. A sensible approach: if you eat rice occasionally, the difference is minor; if rice is a daily staple, favor white basmati from lower-arsenic origins or rotate grains.

Does washing rice remove arsenic?

Rinsing helps only a little. A quick rinse removes surface dust and some starch but leaves most of the arsenic, which is bound inside the grain.

What actually works is cooking rice like pasta. Published research, including studies by the FDA, shows that cooking rice in excess water (six to ten parts water to one part rice) and draining the extra water removes 40 to 60% of the inorganic arsenic, depending on rice type, per the FDA's guidance on limiting arsenic exposure. The trade-off is that some water-soluble nutrients (like folate added to enriched rice) drain away with the water.

How to reduce arsenic in rice, in order of impact:

1. Choose lower-arsenic rice: white basmati from California, India, or Pakistan, or sushi rice grown in the US.
2. Cook 6:1 and drain: boil rice in at least six parts water per one part rice, drain like pasta.
3. Rinse before cooking: a modest additional reduction.
4. Rotate your grains: swap in oats, quinoa, barley, farro, or millet several times a week. This is the single biggest lever for total intake.
5. Watch rice-based processed foods: rice milk, rice cakes, crisped-rice cereals, and rice-flour snacks count toward the same total.

What about arsenic in rice for babies?

Infants are the highest-priority group. Relative to body weight, babies around 8 months old eat about three times more rice than adults, mostly as infant rice cereal, which is why the FDA set a 100 ppb action level for inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal in 2020. FDA sampling shows industry improvement: 76% of infant rice cereal samples met the 100 ppb level in 2018, up from 36% in 2011-2013.

Advocacy testing pushed that progress. Healthy Babies Bright Futures found that rice-based foods (infant rice cereal, rice puffs, and rice cakes) were among the most contaminated items in its nationwide baby food survey, and recommended oat and multigrain cereals as first-line alternatives.

Practical guidance for parents: rotate rice cereal with oatmeal and multigrain cereals rather than eliminating it, and skip rice milk for young children. For brand-level comparisons and low-metal alternatives, see our guide to the best baby food without heavy metals.

How is rice tested for arsenic, and what do the numbers mean?

Credible rice testing uses ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry), which detects metals down to fractions of a part per billion. One ppb equals one microgram of metal per kilogram of rice: invisible without a lab, but meaningful when it repeats at every meal.

Two details separate rigorous rice testing from headline-grade testing:

• Speciation matters more for rice than any other food. "Total arsenic" lumps together relatively benign organic arsenic with the inorganic arsenic that drives cancer risk. The FDA's 100 ppb infant cereal action level is for inorganic arsenic specifically, so results that don't speciate can't be compared against it.
• Lot-to-lot variation is real. Arsenic in a given brand shifts with harvest, field, and blending. A single favorable test is a snapshot; ongoing lot testing is a track record. That's the difference certification is designed to verify.

When you evaluate a rice brand's published results, check three things: that inorganic arsenic is reported separately, that the detection limit is stated, and that testing is recurring rather than one-time.

How does rice compare to other heavy metal food risks?

Rice is the headline grain, but it's one chapter of a bigger story: lead in spices, cadmium in chocolate, mercury in fish. For the full picture of where contamination comes from and how regulators are responding, start with our complete guide to heavy metals in food. And if turmeric, cinnamon, or paprika are pantry staples, our companion guide to heavy metals in spices covers a category with even fewer federal limits than rice.

Faq: Heavy Metals in Rice

Which rice has the least arsenic? White basmati rice grown in California, India, or Pakistan, and sushi rice grown in the US, consistently test lowest, at roughly half the inorganic arsenic of most other rice in Consumer Reports' testing.

Does washing rice remove arsenic? Rinsing removes only a small amount. Cooking rice in six or more parts water and draining the excess removes 40-60% of inorganic arsenic. That's the method with real evidence behind it.

Is brown rice arsenic higher than white rice? Yes. Arsenic concentrates in the bran layer that brown rice retains. Brown basmati from California, India, or Pakistan is the lowest-arsenic brown option, with about a third less than other brown rice.

Is it safe to eat rice every day? For most adults, moderate daily rice is fine, especially lower-arsenic types cooked in excess water. For young children, and anyone eating rice at most meals, rotating in other grains is the safer pattern.

Is arsenic in rice regulated? Only partially. The FDA's 100 ppb action level applies to infant rice cereal specifically. There is no binding US federal limit for arsenic in regular rice, though the EU sets enforceable maximum levels for inorganic arsenic in rice under Regulation 2023/915.

Does organic rice have less arsenic? No. Arsenic uptake is about soil, water, and rice variety, not farming method. Organic and conventional rice test similarly.

Want rice products with verified numbers instead of guesswork? Learn how our heavy metal testing and certification works, shop Heavy Metal Tested certified brands, or apply for heavy metal certification if you're a producer.