Heavy Metals
Arsenic: King of All Poisons
Worldwide, at least 140 million people in 50 countries drink water with arsenic concentrations exceeding the World Health Organization (WHO) provisional guideline. In many regions of the US, arsenic concentrations are even higher, exceeding 10 ppm. Arsenic poisoning is known to cause fetal anomalies, neurological disorders, vascular disease, diabetes, and hematological disorders.
Lead
Lead poisoning directly results in at least 412,000 deaths per annum in just the US. On the global scale, each dollar invested towards lead contamination prevention can result in net savings of $181-$269 billion) a cost benefit ratio exceeding even that of vaccines. Some common effects of lead exposure include fetal anomalies, neurological disorders, behavioral problems, and hypertension.
Mercury
Mercury
was not regarded as an important pollutant until the 1950s. Now, it is known to be a serious toxin. The EPA recently adopted
its first ever mercury toxicity rule, and it is estimated that this rule will
prevent, annually, up to 6,000 heart attacks, 130,000
asthma attacks, and 4,000-11,000 premature deaths. Mercury poisoning causes
fetal anomalies, neurological disorders, and behavioral problems.
Cadmium
Cadmium is also a highly toxic and prevalent heavy metal, with at least 5 million people at risk for exposure to cadmium globally, with an estimated disease burden of 250,000 disability-adjusted life years. In the US, cadmium levels have been shown to increase up to 1,000 parts per billion. Cadmium exposure causes fetal anomalies, neurological disorders, bone damage, renal damage, and pancreatic cancer.