Research indicates that about 14-17% of global cropland is contaminated by toxic heavy metals like arsenic and cadmium, endangering up to 1.4 billion people. The study utilizes over 1,000 regional research data and machine learning to assess risk levels. Heavy metals not only impact health by causing serious conditions but also threaten food safety and ecosystem integrity. Cadmium was noted as the most prevalent pollutant. Experts warn that increasing demand for critical metals for green technologies may worsen the contamination issue, indicating a growing public health crisis.
About one sixth of global cropland is contaminated by toxic heavy metals, with as many as 1.4 billion people living in high-risk areas worldwide.
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.
Toxic metal pollution in soil originates from both natural and human activity and can persist for decades in the environment.
The drive for technology-critical metals to build green infrastructure is likely to exacerbate heavy metal pollution of soils.
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