About 15% of World's Cropland Polluted With Toxic Metals, Say Researchers 21
About one sixth of global cropland is contaminated by toxic heavy metals, researchers have estimated, with as many as 1.4 billion people living in high-risk areas worldwide. From a report: Approximately 14 to 17% of cropland globally -- roughly 242m hectares -- is contaminated by at least one toxic metal such as arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, nickel or lead, at levels that exceed agricultural and human health safety thresholds.
The analysis, which was conducted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and published in the journal Science, collected data from more than 1,000 regional studies across the globe, as well as using machine learning technology. Dr Liz Rylott, a senior lecturer in the department of biology at the University of York, who was not involved in the research, said: "These findings reveal the deeply worrying extent to which these natural poisons are polluting our soils, entering our food and water, and affecting our health and our environment. Often collectively called heavy metals, these elements cause a range of devastating health problems, including skin lesions, reduced nerve and organ functions, and cancers."
Toxic metal pollution in soil originates from both natural and human activity. Contaminated soil causes significant risks to ecosystems and human health as well as reducing crop yields, jeopardising water quality and food safety owing to bioaccumulation in farm animals. Toxic metal contamination can persist for decades once pollution has been introduced into soil.
The analysis, which was conducted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and published in the journal Science, collected data from more than 1,000 regional studies across the globe, as well as using machine learning technology. Dr Liz Rylott, a senior lecturer in the department of biology at the University of York, who was not involved in the research, said: "These findings reveal the deeply worrying extent to which these natural poisons are polluting our soils, entering our food and water, and affecting our health and our environment. Often collectively called heavy metals, these elements cause a range of devastating health problems, including skin lesions, reduced nerve and organ functions, and cancers."
Toxic metal pollution in soil originates from both natural and human activity. Contaminated soil causes significant risks to ecosystems and human health as well as reducing crop yields, jeopardising water quality and food safety owing to bioaccumulation in farm animals. Toxic metal contamination can persist for decades once pollution has been introduced into soil.
Glass half full (Score:1)
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Clay shooting (Score:3)
Iâ(TM)m a sporting clay shooter. Half the courses I shoot at have us shooting into farmland like corn or wheat. They require lead shot. Always thought that was weird.
Re: Clay shooting (Score:2)
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Do you even understand the difference between something that is toxic, and something that is a disease? You don't build up an immunity to things like lead.
242 milihectar? (Score:2)
That is, wait, 24'200 square meters...
Somebod that does not sound accurate. Looks like somebody does not understand SI. Pathetic.
Re: (Score:2)
That is, wait, 24'200 square meters...
Somebod that does not sound accurate. Looks like somebody does not understand SI. Pathetic.
"242m hectares". 1000000 "in British English as m" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org] Cheers to making the most out of the long weekend and asking others to explain your made up quote.
Re: (Score:1, Interesting)
Trump: I'm going to send people to concentration camps, destroy entire swaths of the government while ignoring the law, partner up with North Korea and Russia, and more, all while openly taking in bribes.
You: The problem is the blame game on Slashdot.
Related - RFK Jr demolishes team that investigates lead poisoning:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/r... [cbsnews.com]
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You can't necessarily blame Trump for the level of toxicity worldwide, but things like, "let's defund the agency that inspects food to make sure they aren't tainted" will put people at risk.
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Where did you buy your MBA from? Because someone got ripped off, and it wasn't the degree mill.
This is not really news (Score:3)
Re:This is not really news (Score:5, Insightful)
Another important point is that if you're talking about land within a mile or several of a highway, in the last near-century, then it will have received aerial deposition of lead from traffic fumes. Which I agree is "contamination", but given the ubiquity (until 15~ years ago) of lead-dosed fuels I wonder about either their threshold levels (so "accepting" significant areas of traffic-contamination with lead) or where they're sampling their data from. In Europe or America - or a lot of Africa, or Asia, you'd find measurable lead contamination almost everywhere. Or are they counting extremely-low stock density grazing lands, which barely qualify as "agricultural".
Quibbles aside, I'm surprised it's so low.
If an area's bedrock runs to 10ppm Cr, and it's natural soil runs to 12ppm Cr, (implying 20% m/m loss of rock mass on weathering into soil) is that contamination?
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All irregularities will be handled by the forces.. (Score:2)
contaminated by at least one toxic metal such as arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, nickel, lead,
Jet, Diamond, Radium, Sapphire, Silver and Steel.
Sapphire and Steel have been assigned.
Phytoextraction (Score:2)
Tobacco is superb at absorbing metals from soil. The US has even developed a variant specifically for super-fund sites.
c'mon (Score:3)
I'm worried about output, not input. (Score:2)