I was under the impression that the majority of the arsenic concentration in rice fields is actually an unintented consequence of pesticides used in the 1800's that persist in the soil still today.
The study I saw implied that most of the metals were on the surface as dust, so you could rinse about 60% off. I would expect the bran, containing a lot of the protein and minerals, would have more in it, and also make it more difficult to remove surface contamination.
Incidentally there are also some studies challenging the heavy metals in broadleaf plants link. The newer studies suggest surface contamination is a much bigger factor. That's also another 'pro' in the column for cleaning your vegetables with white vinegar instead of soap. Acids are pretty good at dissolving metal dust, especially from residual contamination near roads from leaded gas. My yard tested high.
> The study I saw implied that most of the metals were on the surface as dust, so you could rinse about 60% off.
> The newer studies suggest surface contamination is a much bigger factor.
interesting!
then maybe i dont need to overdo it with rice, sounds good.
> That's also another 'pro' in the column for cleaning your vegetables with white vinegar instead of soap.
sounds good, sometimes i skip the rinsing and washing but that is good motivation to keep it up, thanks!
The good news is both of them are easy to grow indoors or outdoors, and they're perennial. Perennial herbs include rosemary, lavender, marjoram, tarragon, sage, mint, parsely, lemon balm, chives, sorrel, yarrow, chicory, savory, bay laurel, lovage, hyssop, anise, chamomile, bergamot, alfalfa, clover... the list goes on. You can use them fresh, or make your own dried herbs.
On top of that, variants of thyme work as a hearty no-hassle replacement for grass, and it even flowers.
A tangential word of warning for anybody feeling inspired to DIY some fresh herbs: mint spreads very aggressively. If you want to plant some, put it in a pot on a patio or pavement to stop it from getting into the ground.
If you do not, in a few years you'll have mint growing absolutely everywhere.
Mostly kidding, I grew up living at a rural property that had mint all over the place. I loved it, but I do understand how much trouble invasive plants can cause.
Do you have a recommended place to get those? Also, I’ve got clay soil here, and thyme has never done well for me. I’d love to replace swaths of my lawn with it, as I really like it’s appearance and fragrance, so any link to those varieties would be much appreciated.
Clay soil's definitely not gonna work for thyme, it's way too wet and nutrient-dense. You could try double-digging to remediate it, but that could possibly lead to other issues.
As for where to get stuff, search for plant nurseries near you. They may not be tech-savvy so you might have to use the old-fashioned technique of wandering around and asking people (anyone who works in dirt: farmers, gardeners/landscapers, contractors). They will know your local environment and what works best for it and can order plants and seeds for you.
It may not be practical for you, but you could try a hydroponic system like AeroGarden. I was given one last Christmas and grew lots of herbs (I've just moved and haven't unpacked it, but when I do the herbs will be coming out again).
AeroGarden is a pricy brand, but there are probably cheaper ones that do just as well.
I’ve been looking at doing something similar and the best advice I’ve found is from a local agricultural school and some local businesses that supply native plants in your area.
It's not clear where the heavy metals are coming from. One possibility mentioned in the article is the soil itself. I wonder if even potting soil is tested for heavy metals? If heavy metals get through whatever food testing is done by the FDA, McCormick, etc., I don't have great confidence that soil testing is any better. That said, I would think growing your own is safer.
> If heavy metals get through whatever food testing is done by the FDA
About that...
> In addition, the limited testing the FDA has done on spices has been focused on harmful bacteria, such as salmonella, not heavy metals, Ronholm says.
The reason for these is probabaly the extreme depths from which water is pumped. The normal shallow ground waters arent this bad with arsenic I would assume.
I wonder if hydroponically grown herbs would lack them. Could be a business opportunity, if people care enough (or the government steps in to regulate).
To be really certain you'd have to test your soil.
I don't think you could test seeds without destroying them. But if your soil was clean then you could grow a plant from potentially contaminated seeds and that plants seeds would be far less contaminated.
Probably the only reasonable way of guaranteeing clean plant food sources is to use hydroponics, and to manufacture fertilizer yourself. Distilling water is easy, and buying the chemicals for fertilizer seems doable. But you'll want to make your own hdpe containers, and silicone tubing, so you don't get unlisted phthalates or plasticizer. GRAS and "food safe" classifications are fine, for things that are actually looked for, but mistakes are made, and most failures seem to favor producers, not consumers.
The question boils down to the actual harms you're mitigating and what constitutes the appropriate response.
