China's arsenic contamination risk is assessed

[JayAtl]

Nearly 20 million people in China could be exposed to water contaminated with arsenic, a study suggests.

Scientists used information about the geology of the country to predict the areas most likely to be affected by the poison.

The report is published in the journal Science.

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 kidney.

Geological maps

Until now, estimating the scale of arsenic contamination in large countries has been difficult.

China is thought to have more than 10 million drinking wells, and each needs to be screened to establish whether any toxic compounds are present. This process could take decades.

Instead, researchers from Switzerland and China looked at geological maps of the country.

Using this information, and by looking at the types of rocks present in the country, and in particular their age, the researchers pinpointed the regions where the toxic element is most likely to be found.

Their findings suggest that 19.6 million people in China could be exposed to unsafe levels in their drinking water, including some living in areas areas not previously thought to be at risk.

BBC News - China's arsenic contamination risk is assessed

New Chinese Bird Flu May Be Worse Than H7N9 Virus

A virus called H7N7 has been discovered in chickens in China, according to a new study published in the journal Nature.

A team of Hong Kong researchers found the virus in about 25 percent of the fowl sampled, many of which also had the H7N9 virus. By testing the H7N7 virus on ferrets, the researchers found that it can be transmitted to mammals.

“If (we) let this H7N7 continue circulating in chickens, I am sure that human infection cases will occur,” study co-author Guan Yi at the University of Hong Kong told AFP. “This virus could cause more severe infection than … H7N9, based on our animal experiment.”

H7N7 appears to have developed alongside H7N9, which has killed 44 of more than 130 people infected in China.

“We think it is scary for humans,” Guan added. “Our entire human population almost has no antibodies against the H7 subtype of influenza virus. Thus, if it causes pandemic outbreak, it will kill many people.”

The scientists believe a better surveillance system is needed to monitor for dangerous viruses like H7N9 that may be emerging. “This is a very different influenza ecosystem from other countries,” Guan said, according to Nature.