In a small hamlet in Punjab’s Fazilka district, around 30 deaths due to cancer have been reported over the last decade and mysterious illnesses affect people of all age groups — linked to industrial effluents polluting the residents’ water sources.
About Heavy metals
- Heavy metals such as chromium, nickel, arsenic and mercury are linked to cancer, according to a 2022 study.
- These hazardous elements can also damage the functioning of the brain, lungs, kidney, liver, blood composition and other important organs.
- Heavy metals are naturally occurring elements that have a high atomic weight and a density at least 5 times greater than that of water.
- Their multiple industrial, domestic, agricultural, medical and technological applications have led to their wide distribution in the environment; raising concerns over their potential effects on human health and the environment.
- Their toxicity depends on several factors including the dose, route of exposure, and chemical species, as well as the age, gender, genetics, and nutritional status of exposed individuals.
