The Junín Lake basin in Peru is experiencing critical contamination from heavy metals, particularly arsenic, lead, and cadmium. A new study highlights the alarming levels of these metals, which can pose significant health risks, including cancer. Around 50,000 people live in this region, but the impact of contamination reaches about 1.3 million due to water use downriver.
Researchers examined over 200 soil samples and found that contamination levels exceeded safe limits by more than 100 times in agricultural areas. The highlands of Peru have a long history of mining, and both abandoned mines and urbanization contribute to the ongoing pollution.
Local communities may face food safety issues due to bioaccumulation in animals that consume contaminated plants. Experts are calling for more comprehensive studies to understand the full impact on public health, particularly among vulnerable groups like children and pregnant women.
Difficult words
- contamination — pollution of air, water, or soil.contamination levels
- arsenic — a toxic element found in some substances.
- researcher — a person who studies something carefully.Researchers
- health — the state of being free from illness.public health
- community — a group of people living in the same area.communities
- pollution — the introduction of harmful substances.
- bioaccumulation — the build-up of substances in living organisms.
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How can contamination in water affect people's health?
- What measures can communities take to reduce pollution?
- Why is it important to study the impact of contamination?
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