Anh ngữ đặc biệt: Rice Arsenic (VOA)

Chương trình học tiếng Anh của VOA: Special English Agriculture Report. Xin hãy vào http://www.youtube.com/VietSpecialEnglish để xem các bài kế tiếp. From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report in Special English. The United States government and a non-profit research group have carried out tests on rice in the American market. Early results show measurable amounts of the substance arsenic. One form of the chemical, called inorganic arsenic, is known to cause cancer in humans. Inorganic arsenic comes mainly from chemical fertilizers and pesticides used in agriculture. Organic arsenic naturally appears in soil and water. The non-profit study by Consumer Reports warns that people should change their diet to limit rice. But, scientists for the United States Food and Drug Administration say they are making no recommendations until their study is complete. Consumer Reports tested 200 kinds of rice. The group said it found the highest levels of arsenic in samples of rice from the southern and central United States. It said the lowest arsenic levels were in rice from the state of California, India and Thailand. The FDA is testing 1,200 rice samples. It will decide on whether to make new recommendations next year. But the FDA says the levels that are being found in rice do not present an immediate safety concern. It says people should continue eating rice. The United States has limits for the amount of arsenic permitted in water, but not for food. Consumer Reports recommends that, to be safe, people should limit the amount of rice they eat. The group says that is especially true for very young children. It adds that people should wash rice well before cooking. The FDA's larger study will be complete in 2012. At this time, it says people should continue eating a balanced diet that includes different kinds of grains.