52 percent of Jakarta Schools located near heavy metal-contaminated sites: study - Jakarta - The Jakarta Post

Indonesia

Jakarta

Schools in the wealthiest neighborhood quintile were 49 times more likely to be near documented contaminated sites than those in the poorest areas, as industrial activity and affluent communities often overlap in urban areas.

Better together: Students of SMA Taman Siswa state senior high school in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, study together to prepare for national exams in this file photo. Students aspiring to enroll in their dream universities often resort to taking extra classes provided by school or private institutions. (Warta Kota/Angga Bhagya Nugraha)

A new study has found that more than half of schools in Jakarta are located within 5 kilometers of documented contaminated sites, potentially putting hundreds of thousands students at risk of exposure to hazardous pollutants such as lead, mercury and cadmium.Published in June by the Center for Global Development (CGD), the study analyzed the locations of polluted sites and schools across 17 low- and middle-income countries including India, Mexico, Vietnam, Ghana, Brazil and Indonesia.