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Toxic Metals Found in Bananas and Crops a Decade After Brazil's Worst Mining Disaster
Key Takeaways
- Bananas grown near Brazil's 2015 Fundão dam collapse contain toxic metals posing health risks to children under six
- Five heavy metals including lead and cadmium were detected in bananas, cassava, and cocoa crops
- Cocoa pulp exceeded international safety limits for copper and lead concentrations
- Cumulative lifetime exposure could increase carcinogenic risk to the central nervous system and digestive tract
- Researchers from Brazil and Spain call for systematic food safety monitoring in mining-affected agricultural zones
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DT Editorial Team··5 min read·via sciencedaily.com