What is chronic hydroarsenicism (Hacre) in Argentina?

Hacre is an illness caused by prolonged consumption of water with high arsenic levels, leading to symptoms like skin lesions, bone pain, and increased cancer risk.

How is arsenic contaminating water in Argentina?

Arsenic contamination in Argentina primarily occurs naturally as the element leaches from volcanic rocks into groundwater.

What are the health effects for the Cuellar family in Argentina?

The Cuellar family suffers from bone pain and other symptoms linked to Hacre, with multiple family members diagnosed with various forms of cancer.

Home / Health / Argentina's Hidden Crisis: Arsenic Poisons Rural Families

Argentina's Hidden Crisis: Arsenic Poisons Rural Families

27 Nov, 2025

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Summary

Children suffer bone pain from arsenic levels 60 times over safe limits.
Arsenic contamination naturally leaches into groundwater in rural Argentina.
Millions exposed to arsenic; cancer rates tragically high in affected areas.

Argentina's Hidden Crisis: Arsenic Poisons Rural Families

Rural communities in Argentina face a silent epidemic as arsenic contamination in groundwater reaches critical levels. Families in arid northern areas, such as the Wichi community of El Chañaral, are forced to drink water contaminated with arsenic up to 60 times the safe limit set by the World Health Organization. This exposure leads to severe health problems, including crippling bone pain in children like seven-year-old Marcela Bustamante and increasing rates of cancer in adults.

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