Restore Health in Cerro de Pasco

Because of pollution caused by the open pit mine, children in Cerro de Pasco have an Intelligent Quotient lower than the average and also lower than their peers in the neighboring village of Carhuamayo.

On average, children in Cerro de Pasco have an IQ that is 12 points lower than children in Carhuamayo and also 12 point lower than the national average of Peru (children in Carhuamayo have an average IQ very similar to the national one). More than 40% of the children of Cerro de Pasco have an IQ that is significantly lower than the average.

But what does it imply for the regular life of a kid? What does it mean to have a low IQ?

1. Educational Challenges: Individuals with lower IQ may face difficulties in traditional educational settings, as these environments often emphasize cognitive abilities measured by IQ tests. They might require alternative teaching methods or additional support to succeed academically. An “hypothetical” kid born in Cerro de Pasco will struggle to finish secondary school while the same “hypothetical” kid born and raised in Carhuamayo may become an engineer.
2. Occupational Limitations: Certain professions may have cognitive demands that could pose challenges for individuals with lower IQ. It is crucial to note that IQ is just one aspect of a person’s abilities, and various skills, talents, and attributes contribute to success in different careers. However, the vast majority of occupation require “traditional” cognitive demands. Therefore, our “hypothetical” kid of Cerro de Pasco might be unemployed while the same kid in Carhuamayo will have a regular job and a successful career.
3. Social Stigma: Unfortunately, there can be a social stigma associated with lower IQ scores. This can lead to stereotyping, bias, and discrimination, impacting the individual’s self-esteem and mental health. Children in Cerro de Pasco might suffer from this stigma and therefore grow whit lower self-esteem and even depression, making it even more difficult to have some sort of “normal” social life.
4. Adaptability: Individuals with lower IQ scores might face challenges in adapting to new or complex situations. In a word that constantly changes this aspect can be a very important one. Our “hypothetical” kid of Cerro de Pasco might struggle to adapt to new changes in society or to adapt to new technologies while the Carhuamayo one will adapt quickly and without problems.
5. Emotional Intelligence: While IQ primarily measures cognitive abilities, it does not directly assess emotional intelligence. Individuals with lower IQ may still excel in social and emotional intelligence. However, this is restricted by the social stigma and the occupational and educational limitations. Our “hypothetical” kid of Cerro de Pasco might have a good emotional intelligence but he will probably have lower education, underprivileged job and been subject of social stigma; all points that do not help in putting into practice a good emotional intelligence. For example, several studies have demonstrated that people with lower IQ are more prone to domestic violence, a phenomenon that is very common in Cerro de Pasco (according to national census Cerro de Pasco has the second highest incidence of domestic violence in the Country).

Our investigation found that there is a direct correlation between the concentration of heavy metals (especially lead) in the bodies of the kids and their IQ. Lead, Arsenic, Manganese, Chromium, Cadmium they all have a direct correlation with the IQ of the children. However, there is a factor that has a higher incidence of the IQ of children and this is the level of education of their parents. The level of education of the parents and their social and working position is even more important that the presence of lead in their bodies.

Therefore, the children that have a lower IQ today because of the pollution caused by the mine, will have a lower education and social position tomorrow. Consequently, their children will have a lower IQ and hence a lower education and social position.

In other words: mining pollution is not only denying a future for this generation but it will deny a future for the next generation too; and possibly even the next one. The pollution that mining operations are causing today (and the one that they caused in the previous years) is affecting the people of Cerro de Pasco for generations to come!

Links:

• Source International's webpage