Chile: Environmental Issues :
2 Chile: Environmental Issues Topography
Climate Temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool and damp in south Low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes in east
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Nevado Ojos del Salado 6,880 m
Chile: Environmental Issues :
3 Chile: Environmental Issues Industry
Mining in northern regions
Largest copper mine in world
Water
High levels of arsenic in ground water
Cyanide contamination near copper industries
Chile: Environmental Issues :
4 Chile: Environmental Issues Food
Contaminated seafood caused by algal red tides
Mercury contamination of fish due to mining
Air
Santiago - one of the world’s most polluted cities
Soil
Localized contamination near industry and waste disposal sites
Chile: Environmental Issues :
5 Chile: Environmental Issues Greatest short-term environmental health risks
Airborne pollutants
Greatest long-term environmental health risks
Chronic ingestion of arsenic in contaminated water
Chile: Diseases ofOperational Importance :
6 Chile: Diseases ofOperational Importance Low risk country
Diseases of greatest risk
Food- and Water-borne: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A
Chile: Diseases ofOperational Importance :
7 Chile: Diseases ofOperational Importance Diseases of potential risk
Food- and Water-borne: brucellosis, protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis E, typhoid/paratyphoid fever
Sexually transmitted: gonorrhea/chlamydia, hepatitis B, HIV/AIDS
Water contact: leptospirosis
Soil contact: hantavirus pulmonary syndrome
Respiratory: tuberculosis
Animal contact: rabies