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BBC Learning English
Words in the News
22
nd
March 2010
Bangladesh water may still be unsafe
A new report by the UN and the Bangladesh government has found that 20 million
Bangladeshis could still be drinking unclean water. The report, marking World Water Day,
comes almost 20 years after the problem was first discovered. This report from Mark
Dummett:
The researchers found that
arsenic
continues to be a
major threat
to the good health of
millions of Bangladeshis, almost
two decades
after the problem was first detected, despite a
massive effort to provide safe drinking water.
They also found that rice, the country's
staple food
, can also contain
potentially dangerous
levels of arsenic, if the crop is
irrigated
with
contaminated
water, as happens in several
parts of the country.
Ministers say that more research is needed on this and that people should not be
alarmed
.
Arsenic poisoning can cause cancers, heart and lung disease. It first became a problem in
Bangladesh in the 1970s after the UN dug millions of new
tube wells
. The water that these
wells tapped was contaminated with arsenic, and millions were affected in what the World
Health Organisation termed 'the greatest
mass poisoning
in history'.
Mark Dummett, BBC News, Dhaka
Words in the News
© British Broadcasting Corporation 2010
Page 1 of 2
bbclearningenglish.com
Vocabulary and definitions
arsenic
type of very strong poison which can kill people
major threat
serious danger
two decades
20 years (one decade is 10 years)
staple food
basic type of food eaten as part of most meals
potentially dangerous
possibly harmful
irrigated
supplied with water
contaminated
polluted, impure or harmful
alarmed
very worried that something bad will happen
tube wells
deep holes in the ground where water is taken from using
large pipes
mass poisoning
many people becoming ill from being exposed to
chemicals
More on this story:
Read and listen to the story and the vocabulary online:
Words in the News
© British Broadcasting Corporation 2010
Page 2 of 2
bbclearningenglish.com
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