20 mln people in China exposed to arsenic contamination   

地下水砷污染危及近2000万国人 新疆等3地为重灾区

(ECNS)-- Nearly 20 million people in China could be exposed to water contaminated with arsenic, according to a recent study.

The report, a four-year research project jointly conducted by scientists from China, Spain, and Switzerland, used information about the geology of the country to predict the areas likely to be affected by the poison.

Estimating the scale of arsenic contamination in such a large country as China has been difficult, experts have said. It could take almost two decades to screen each drinking well to determine whether there are toxic compounds in them, said co-author of the study Sun Guifan, an expert from China Medical University.

"Instead, we focused on geological maps of the country," said Sun.

Annette Johnson, one of the authors of the study, said: "In the past few years, the amount of geospatial information 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 and their age, the researchers have pinpointed the regions where the toxic element is most likely to be found.

The 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.

Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and Shanxi are among the areas most likely to be affected by the poison.

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 kidneys.

Water system reform is the key to the prevention of diseases, Sun said.

During the period of China's "eleventh five-year plan" the central budget injected billions of yuan into water system reform. The quality of underground water has been improved in several regions across the country.