By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
About 28 percent of groundwater used for cooking school meals is contaminated with harmful germs and cancer-causing materials, a lawmaker said Wednesday. Many schools use groundwater pumped up from underground water wells to save the costs of municipal water.
Rep. Ahn Myong-ock of the Grand National Party said 28 percent of water used at school cafeterias and food distributing companies was unhealthy and undrinkable as it contained nitrogen, a potential carcinogen, or germs.
The estimate was based on a survey of 64 cafeterias and 19 ingredients distributors. Some had coliform bacteria and other germs that can easily cause food poisoning or stomachache. Nitrate-nitrogen can lower the oxygen supply to the blood and cause veins and skin to appear blue. The extent of cancer risk from nitrate in drinking water is not known.
This is the first time the government has revealed the quality of groundwater used in school meal preparation.
``Students using school cafeterias have a weaker immune system than adults. The groundwater is not sterilized like tap water, which makes it easily contaminated,'' Ahn said. ``Therefore, we need to put more attention on the quality management of this water,'' she said.
The Environment Ministry also said groundwater is also unsafe to drink.
On the ministry's annual report, 330 groundwater wells nationwide were labeled as unsafe. Its spokesperson said drinking it could cause serious problems such as food poisoning through norovirus.
Seven cases of poisoning by the virus were reported in 2005, but the number hiked to 79 during the January-July period of 2007.