** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** MANY PEOPLE EAT RICE, INCLUDING INFANTS WHO ARE OFTEN FED RICE AS A FIRST FOOD. UNLIKE OTHER CROPS, THE GROWTH CONDITIONS OF RICE RESULTS IN ITS GRAIN HAVING HIGHER AMOUNTS ARSENIC, WHICH IS A POTENT POISON. BUT, NOT ALL FORMS OF ARSENIC HAVE THE SAME TOXIC EFFECTS ON HUMANS. WHILE SOME FORMS ARE GENERALLY REGARDED AS NONTOXIC, OTHER FORMS ARE HIGHLY TOXIC. RECENTLY, A NEW HIGHLY TOXIC FORM OF ARSENIC WAS DISCOVERED IN RICE, BUT IT IS UNKNOWN HOW PREVALENT THIS FORM IS IN US RICE. IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENT FORMS OF ARSENIC IN RICE AND TO FIND WAYS TO KEEP LEVELS OF THE TOXIC FORMS OF ARSENIC IN RICE AS CLOSE TO ZERO AS POSSIBLE. IN THIS PROJECT, WE WILL INVESTIGATE THE DIFFERENT FORMS OF ARSENIC THAT ARE FOUND IN RICE - INCLUDING THE NEWLY RECOGNIZED FORM OF CONCERN. IN THIS COLLABORATIVE PROJECT, WE WILL ALSO TEST PRACTICAL WAYS TO DECREASE THE RISK OF ARSENIC TO RICE CONSUMERS THROUGH PROJECT ACTIVITIES THAT RANGE FROM FARM MANAGEMENT CHANGES IN IRRIGATION STRATEGIES TO FOOD PROCESSING CHANGES SUCH AS ADJUSTMENTS TO THE PARBOILING OR MILLING TECHNIQUES. THE PROJECT WILL ADVANCE UNDERSTANDING OF THE EFFECTS OF THESE PRACTICES ON THE DIFFERENT FORMS OF ARSENIC FOUND IN RICE. THE NET RESULT WILL BE A HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE ON WAYS TO EFFECTIVELY REDUCE THE RISK OF ARSENIC THROUGH DIETARY RICE CONSUMPTION.