Arsenic and other toxins
in Âu Lạc's (Vietnam)
groundwater.
A new study published
in the US-based
Proceedings
of the National Academy
of Sciences shows that
65% of drinking water
wells in one region of
Âu Lạc are at risk of
containing unsafe levels
of arsenic and other
harmful substances.
Dr. Michael Berg,
senior scientist at the
Swiss Federal Institute
of Aquatic Science and
Technology, co-authored
the study which estimates
that some seven million
people in the southeast
Asian country are at risk.
In addition to arsenic,
which is toxic and
can cause vomiting
and anemia as well as
cancer of the skin, lungs,
bladder and kidneys,
about 44% of the wells
contained unsafe levels
of manganese,
with an estimated
five million people
who might be affected.
Manganese
at high concentrations
can damage children's
intellectual ability.
The risk of harmful
contamination has
increased in recent years
due to unsustainable
water use combined
with climate change
effects such as
desertification caused
by prolonged drought.
Dr. Berg, in cooperation
with Hà Nội University
of Science
and Technology,
has created
a groundwater map that
shows safe water sources,
which Aulacese
(Vietnamese) officials
intend to use as a tool
to provide alternate
clean water supplies.
Our sincere thanks,
Dr. Berg and associates
for this revealing study
and your work with
the Aulacese government
to protect the public
from such grave
contamination-related
diseases.
Let us endeavor to live
in greater harmony
with nature to ensure
the health of both
humans and the planet.
During a December 2010
videoconference
in Dubai,
United Arab Emirates,
Supreme Master Ching Hai
spoke about similar
issues of imbalance and
encouraged government
measures to minimize
environmental harm.
Supreme Master Ching Hai : The problem is
much of these chemicals
or pollutants that
run into our water
are not colorful,
not specially significant
so that we can even know
what it is, or we can
even see what it is.
And even the chemicals
or the pollutant or
the poison, even mercury
for example, that
goes into the fish that
the people consume,
they're colorless,
tasteless.
So people don't even
know what they're eating
until they've fallen ill
or die.
We need every help
right now in this
urgent time,
to save our planet.
I hope government
will guide
the agriculture sector to
the organic vegan path.
for a sustainable future.
And finally, we must
change our lifestyle.
We should live
more simply, sustaining
ourselves on the best diet,
and the economy,
ecology diet
that is organic vegan.
And we should also
live more contented,
not only with money or
material possessions,
but with spiritual
inner strength as well.
http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110117/full/news.2011.20.html?s=news_rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+news%2Frss%2Fmost_recent+%28NatureNews+-+Most+recent+articles%29http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-17/arsenic-poisoned-water-threatens-vietnamese-in-alarming-study.html,
http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/charity-news/high-arsenic-levels-in-drinking-water-from-wells-in-vietnam,
http://portal.unesco.org/geography/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8695&URL_DO=DO_PRINTPAGE&URL_SECTION=201.htmlhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100920074013.htmhttp://www.english.rfi.fr/asia-pacific/20110118-quarter-vietnams-drinking-wells-contain-dangerous-levels-arsenic
http://www.watertechonline.com/news.asp?N_ID=75635
http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/charity-news/high-arsenic-levels-in-drinking-water-from-wells-in-vietnam
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-17/arsenic-poisoned-water-threatens-vietnamese-in-alarming-study.html
Extra News
Malaysia launches
a first-ever Stability
of Altered Forest
Ecosystems (SAFE)
project on the island
of Borneo to evaluate
the effects
of deforestation
and help establish
more informed
decision-making about
the conversion of forests
to palm oil plantations.
http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110128/full/news.2011.56.html?s=news_rsshttp://news.mongabay.com/2011/0129-palm_oil_stability_project.html
Tanneries in Bangladesh
are discovered to be
literally poisonous, with
90% of workers suffering
from diseases caused
by chemical exposure
along with worsening
pollution of
water supplies and
the environment
through the continued
manufacture of leather.
http://www.ecouterre.com/are-bangladeshs-toxic-leather-tanneries-killing-their-workers/