Toxicologists Expose , Risks of Heavy Metals , Found in Common Foods.<br />Scientists have warned that arsenic and other heavy <br />metals found in food have consistently been linked with <br />increased cancer risks and other major health concerns.<br />'Newsweek' reports that while heavy metals naturally <br />occur in the environment, they can also build up as <br />a result of industrial processes and pollution.<br />Those metals are then absorbed <br />by plants, including food crops. .<br />Two new studies from the U.S. Society for Risk <br />Analysis looked at the health risks associated <br />with exposure to heavy metals in common foods. .<br />Felicia Wu, Michigan State University <br />food scientist and incoming president of <br />the Society for Risk Analysis, and her team looked <br />at the dietary intake of lead, cadmium and arsenic.<br />The team found that lead was most commonly detected <br />in rice, wheat and leafy greens, while cadmium was <br />present in nuts, potatoes, seeds, cereals and tobacco.<br />The team found that lead was most commonly detected <br />in rice, wheat and leafy greens, while cadmium was <br />present in nuts, potatoes, seeds, cereals and tobacco.<br />The team found that lead was most commonly detected <br />in rice, wheat and leafy greens, while cadmium was <br />present in nuts, potatoes, seeds, cereals and tobacco.<br />Lead is associated with a moderate to high risk of lung, <br />kidney, bladder, stomach and brain cancers, while cadmium <br />is associated with conditions effecting the reproductive <br />system, immune system and general development.<br />Lead is associated with a moderate to high risk of lung, <br />kidney, bladder, stomach and brain cancers, while cadmium <br />is associated with conditions effecting the reproductive <br />system, immune system and general development.<br />Arsenic, which was found in rice, wheat and leafy <br />greens, was linked to high-risk scores for skin, <br />bladder, lung, kidney and liver cancers.<br />Arsenic, which was found in rice, wheat and leafy <br />greens, was linked to high-risk scores for skin, <br />bladder, lung, kidney and liver cancers.<br />Results from these studies have <br />important implications for food safety <br />regulations, public health policies, <br />and consumer awareness, Felicia Wu, Michigan State University food <br />scientist and incoming president of the <br />Society for Risk Analysis, via 'Newsweek'.<br />The team's previous work found that babies and children <br />under the age of five are the most highly-exposed <br />group to cadmium from consuming common foods
