LATEST
WEBSTORY
TRENDING

Patanjali Misleading Ad Case: Why Patanjali Issued Another ‘Bigger’ Public Apology? | Ramdev | SC

Lok Sabha Election 2024: Rapid Analysis of Hot Seats of Phase 2 | Editor's Table | Election 2024

Tejasvi Surya Vs Sowmya Reddy: Will Tejashvi Win From Bangalore South Again? | BJP Vs Congress

Hypertension:Warning signs of high blood pressure in legs and feet

Animals that break trust

Benefits of having yogurt in summer

BJP appoints new state presidents in Telangana, Jharkhand, Punjab, Andhra ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls

Meet 'mystery girl' whose pictures with Indian cricketer Yuzvendar Chahal is going viral

SCO must not hesitate to criticise countries supporting terrorism: PM Modi

PHOTOS
VIDEOS
ENTERTAINMENT

Actors who died due to cosmetic surgeries

See inside pics: Malayalam star Aparna Das' dreamy wedding with Manjummel Boys actor Deepak Parambol

In pics: Salman Khan, Alia Bhatt, Rekha, Neetu Kapoor attend grand premiere of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Heeramandi

Patanjali Misleading Ad Case: Why Patanjali Issued Another ‘Bigger’ Public Apology? | Ramdev | SC

Lok Sabha Election 2024: Rapid Analysis of Hot Seats of Phase 2 | Editor's Table | Election 2024

Tejasvi Surya Vs Sowmya Reddy: Will Tejashvi Win From Bangalore South Again? | BJP Vs Congress

Anees Bazmee says choosing 'wrong people' is reason behind Akshay Kumar's bad run at box office

Heeramandi first reviews out: Sanjay Leela Bhansali's OTT debut called 'mesmerising, must-watch masterpiece'

Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction in 2020 #MeToo case overturned by New York court

Home Technology

Technology

Mount Everest soil polluted by dangerous levels of arsenic, cadmium

Both heavy metals were found at levels higher than those the US Environmental Protection Agency considers acceptable, says Samantha Langley-Turnbaugh of the University of Southern Maine in Gorham.

DNA Web Team

Updated : Mar 11, 2018, 03:45 AM IST

A new study has revealed that the soil on Mount Everest contains dangerous levels of arsenic and cadmium.

Both heavy metals were found at levels higher than those the US Environmental Protection Agency considers acceptable, says Samantha Langley-Turnbaugh of the University of Southern Maine in Gorham.

Langley-Turnbaugh's student Bill Yeo collected soil and snow samples every 300metres between 5334 and 7772metres up, reports New Scientist.

All the snow samples had high levels of arsenic and cadmium, and all the soil samples had high levels of arsenic.

Mountaineers rely on melted snow for drinking water, so the toxic metals "could be a concern", says Langley-Turnbaugh. High winds blow the contaminated soil around as dust, so breathing it in could also pose a risk.

"People at Everest base camp often wear ventilators, simply because there is so much dust," Langley-Turnbaugh said.

Air pollution from Asian industry is probably to blame. Concentrations of both arsenic and cadmium were higher in the soil further up the mountain, as would be expected if high-altitude winds were depositing them.

Langley-Turnbaugh says there is very little information available about pollution on high mountains like Everest because to get samples you have to climb them.

The study appears in Soil Survey Horizons.

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed- Follow DNA on WhatsApp.