Amid the unfolding Gulf oil disaster comes another shocking story to remind us yet again how precious a resource clean water is.
In Bangladesh, up to 77 million people have been exposed to toxic levels of arsenic from drinking water in recent decades, according to a report. A research study assessed nearly 12,000 people in a district of the capital Dhaka for over a period of 10 years.
More than 20% of deaths among those assessed were caused by the naturally occurring poisonous element. The World Health Organization said the exposure was "the largest mass poisoning of a population in history".
It began after hand-pumped wells were installed in the 1970s to tap groundwater from. Scientists say even small amounts of arsenic over a long period can cause cancer of the bladder, kidney, lung or skin.
No comments:
Post a Comment