Exposure to Contaminants in Karst Groundwater

Karst aquifers are highly vulnerable to groundwater contamination due to the easy filtration of pollutants such as agrochemicals, including organochlorine pesticides (heptachlor, lindane, endosulfan, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, and DDT), and the herbicide glyphosate, the most widely used worldwide. These substances, with international restrictions of use due to their high impact as carcinogenic and neurotoxic, have been linked to diseases such as congenital malformations, Attention Syndrome Disorders (ASD), autism, and Parkinson’s Disease, among others. Several studies show that chronic exposure of women to agrochemicals, especially during the gestational period, represents a high risk for the health of the mothers and children. The karst aquifer of Yucatan, Mexico, with stony soils that easily filter contaminants from the surface, becomes more vulnerable due to high deforestation, faults and fractures in the surface, and a very high density of sinkholes. On the other hand, one-third of the Mayan population drinks water from contaminated wells and sinkholes, and there is a low perception of health risks. Water contamination and bioaccumulation of organochlorine and glyphosate pesticides in humans can significantly impact public health. In Yucatan, Mexico, high concentrations of these contaminants have been detected in water from cenotes, drinking water, groundwater, well water, estuarine water, and seawater, as well as their bioaccumulation in the blood of Mayan women with cancer, breast milk, and animal species. Health statistics show that Yucatan is within the first places at the national level in congenital malformations. The problem is accentuated by the need for hydraulic infrastructure to make water potable for human consumption. This entry aims to analyze the state-of-the-art knowledge about the impact of pollutants on congenital disabilities and the central nervous system in karst regions highly vulnerable to water contamination.