SCIENCE IN THE NEWS DAILY
A Silent Killer in Bangladesh Wells
from ScienceNOW Daily News
Every day, millions of people in Bangladesh drink poisoned water. Wells all over the country tap into shallow aquifers with high concentrations of arsenic. Now researchers report that they've figured out the cause of this contamination.
About 30 years ago, international aid agencies and the government of Bangladesh started installing wells throughout the country. For good reason: The ponds and rivers where people used to get their water also contained sewage--and deadly pathogens.
But in the mid-1990s, other health problems started appearing. Those who drink the well water year after year develop lumps on their hands and feet and greatly increase their risk of cancer, especially lung cancer; epidemiologists say that drinking arsenic-contaminated well water is as bad as smoking.
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