[00:00.00]From VOA Learning English, [00:02.65]this is the Health Report. [00:05.71]Millions of people in developing countries [00:09.74]living near toxic waste dumps. [00:13.57]A new study looked at the dangers of living [00:17.66]near these chemical waste sites. [00:20.85]An environmental organization in New York [00:24.99]studied water and soil samples from 373 waste sites, [00:32.22]these were in three countries [00:35.25]- India, Pakistan and Indonesia. [00:39.44]The researchers found that more than 8.6 million people [00:45.41]were living near the sites in 2010, [00:49.54]and were exposed to many chemicals. [00:53.03]Richard Fuller was an author of the study. [00:56.97]"Lead, chromium, mercury, phosphates, [01:00.80]different kinds of organic chemicals, [01:03.79]pesticides and the like. [01:06.13]They're all over the world, unfortunately." [01:09.11]Mr. Fuller heads the Blacksmith Institute, [01:12.99]which paid for the study. [01:15.44]The institute works to solve pollution problems [01:19.87]in low- and moderate-income countries. [01:24.10]The study says people living near the dumps [01:28.33]lost more than 828-thousand years of healthy life [01:34.35]from toxic waste exposure. [01:37.54]The researchers based this finding, [01:40.42]an estimates of illness, disability and early death. [01:46.30]By comparison, they say malaria caused less illness [01:52.18]and early death in the same three countries. [01:55.71]Air pollution they say caused a little more. [02:00.84]The study found that lead [02:03.58]created the highest pollution levels, [02:06.61]this metal if absorbed into the blood, [02:10.89]can harm the brain development of unborn babies, [02:16.07]and lower the intelligence of children. [02:19.15]Two-thirds of those exposed to lead [02:22.75]near waste dumps in Pakistan, India and Indonesia [02:27.12]were children and women of child-bearing age. [02:31.80]Kevin Chatham-Stephens was the lead author of the study, [02:37.53]he is a pediatric environmental health expert [02:42.15]at the Mount Sinai school of medicine in New York. [02:46.79]He says people living near toxic waste sites [02:51.17]can take simple steps to reduce their risk. [02:55.41]"Even though it may not sound like a lot, [02:57.15]washing your hands is one of the most effective ways [03:00.94]that we can decrease our exposure to chemical pollutants [03:04.47]- just because we know that oftentimes chemicals [03:07.90]such as lead can end up in the dust [03:10.39]and if we have that dust on our hands, [03:12.73]and then we eat our foods and we wipe our mouths [03:14.93]or something like that, [03:15.97]then that chemical can enter into our body." [03:18.11]The Blacksmith Institute is studying toxic waste sites [03:23.49]in 70 other developing countries, [03:26.38]it hopes to help organize clean-up efforts. [03:31.01]Richard Fuller says cleaning-up is a slow process, [03:36.09]but the countries he's working with have been eager to cooperate. [03:42.36]"Everyone here has the right heart [03:44.30]and [is] keen to do the best that they can. [03:47.34]So, we think it's possible. [03:50.53]It's just going to take a lot of work." [03:52.52]And that's the Health Report from VOA Learning English, [03:57.10]I'm June Simms.

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