Nearly 20 million people in China could be exposed
to water contaminated with arsenic, a study suggests.
Scientists used information about the geology of the
country to predict the areas most likely to be affected by the poison.
The report is
published in the journal Science.
Arsenic occurs naturally in the Earth's crust, but
if it leaches into groundwater, long-term exposure can cause serious health
risks. These include skin problems and cancers of the skin,
lungs, bladder and kidney.
Until now, estimating the scale of arsenic
contamination in large countries has been difficult.
China is thought to have more than 10 million
drinking wells, and each needs to be screened to establish whether any toxic
compounds are present. This process could take decades.
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Instead, researchers from Switzerland and China
looked at geological maps of the country.
“What
it is very important to do is to go to the areas that are hotspots and screen
those first, ” said Dr. Annette Johnson, EAWAG
Dr Annette Johnson, from the Swiss Federal Institute
of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG) and a co-author of the study,
explained: "In the last few years the amount of geospatial information -
electronic maps - that's become available is large. You have information such
as climate data, land use, and distance to the river or elevation."
Using this information, and by looking at the types
of rocks present in the country, and in particular their age, the researchers
pinpointed the regions where the toxic element is most likely to be found.
Their findings suggest that 19.6 million people in
China could be exposed to unsafe levels in their drinking water, including some
living in areas not previously thought to be at risk. Read more:
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