Miche wrote in news:micheinnz-74C287.16393716022011
@news.itconsult.net:
News report today........
China rice laced with heavy metals - report
* From correspondents in Beijing
* From: AFP
* February 16, 2011 1:38PM
UP to 10 per cent of rice grown in China is contaminated with harmful
heavy metals stemming from pollution linked to the nation's rapid
industrialisation, a report has found.
This week's edition of the New Century magazine cited studies showing that
large amounts of Chinese rice have been tainted with heavy metals like
cadmium for years but that little has been done to highlight the dangers.
"During China's fast-paced industrialisation, activities such as mining
have sprung up everywhere, releasing into the environment chemical
elements like cadmium, arsenic, mercury and other harmful heavy metals,"
the report said.
"These harmful heavy metals have spread through the air and water,
polluting a rather large area of China's land ... a complete chain of food
contamination has existed for years."
The report cited academic studies since 2007 focussing on several rural
villages in southern China near mines and industrial areas where health
problems such as bone diseases have emerged, mostly among the elderly.
Of the major grains, rice has the strongest tendency to absorb cadmium,
which often seeps into water used for irrigation near mines, especially
lead, tin and copper mines, the report said.
"No matter if the tests were taken by agricultural ministry departments or
by academics, research all shows that about 10 per cent of Chinese rice
has levels of cadmium that surpass standards," the report said.
It added that no major studies have been done on the toxicity and
potential health hazards of eating the tainted rice.
Rice, which is largely grown in south China, is the nation's staple grain,
with about 200 million tonnes produced annually, the report said.
Food safety is a major problem in China, where quality scares regularly
emerge.
Recent scandals have involved contaminated red wine, bleached mushrooms,
fake tofu and recycled cooking oil.
In 2008, at least six children died and about 300,000 fell sick after
consuming powdered milk laced with the industrial chemical melamine, which
was added to make products appear higher in protein.
Rapid industrialisation during the past 30 years helped China become the
world's second-largest economy last year.
But the focus on growth, combined with lax environmental protections, have
saddled the country with some of the world's worst water and air
pollution.
Read more:
http://www.news.com.au/business/breaking-news/china-rice-laced-
with-heavy-metals-report/story-e6frfkur-1226006946337#ixzz1E5nN4sdm
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Hobart
Tasmania
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