Scientists make concerning discovery about risks to human health after studying bustling port: 'Can affect multiple areas of the body'

Heavy metals such as arsenic and mercury found in China's Yangshan Port pose a risk to human health and wildlife, according to a new study.

What's happening?

Researchers from China's Zhejiang Ocean University investigated the concentration of seven heavy metals — arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury and zinc — in seawater, sediment samples, and five species of fish and crustaceans living on or near the seafloor at the port, which is south of Shanghai.

Their findings, summarized by Phys.org, revealed that the concentration of heavy metals was higher in sediments than in the water, which correlated with a greater incidence of toxicity in organisms that lived near the seafloor. They also found that the heavy metals in the water and sediments were influenced by human activities such as wastewater discharges, household pollution, and agricultural and fishery discharges.

"Human health risk assessments showed that the heavy metal posed a potential carcinogenic risk to human health, particularly to children," the researchers stated.

Why is heavy metal contamination important?

While some heavy metals occur naturally in the environment, human activities can increase their concentration, threatening wildlife and human health. For instance, the scientists in this study found that arsenic and mercury posed the greatest threat to the marine environment, with mercury posing the most significant risk to human health through trace metal poisoning, or the accumulation of toxic metals in the body. Mercury poisoning most often happens by eating too much seafood that contains mercury, according to Cleveland Clinic.

"This can affect multiple areas of the body, including the liver and skin, plus respiratory, cardiovascular and nervous systems, and may also increase the risk of developing cancer," Phys.org explained.

Yangshan Port is not the only water body contaminated with heavy metals. One Canadian gold mining company allegedly ruined rivers in multiple countries, as mining for gold can release heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, and mercury into waterways. 

Lead can also make its way into drinking water through lead pipes. In the United States, Florida still has a whopping 1.2 million lead pipes in its water system — more than any other state. Drinking water contaminated with lead can cause heart problems, lower IQ rates in children, and anemia, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. 

What's being done about heavy metal contamination?

The authors of the study recommended that the local population and people in other areas with heavy metal toxicity avoid consuming too much seafood to reduce their exposure. However, Phys.org noted that this could have serious socioeconomic impacts for communities who rely on the fishing industry to support themselves.

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