Mexico city: A UN expert has warned that Mexico is facing a growing 'toxic crisis' as hazardous waste and pollution linked to US economic activity increasingly affect local communities.

According to Anadolu Agency, Marcos Orellana, UN special rapporteur on toxics and human rights, highlighted in an interview with The Guardian and investigative outlet Quinto Elemento Lab that pollutants, ranging from imported waste to dangerous pesticides, are threatening people's right to live healthy lives. Orellana's 11-day investigative mission in Mexico last month revealed that weak environmental standards and insufficient oversight have allowed pollution to accumulate.

Orellana noted that areas with weak standards experience 'legalized pollution,' emphasizing that imports of hazardous and plastic waste from the US are exacerbating the issue. He remarked that 'US overconsumption and economic activity are using Mexico as a garbage sink.'

More than 1,000 contaminated sites are recorded in Mexico's National Inventory of Contaminated Sites, Orellana stated. Many have become 'sacrifice zones,' with diseases such as cancer and medical events like miscarriages becoming common. In his preliminary report, he mentioned factories releasing hazardous waste into the Atoyac River in Puebla, industrial pig farms contaminating drinking water in the Yucat¡n Peninsula, and an ongoing mining chemical spill affecting communities along the Sonora River. Residents in these areas face severe health consequences.

Government records indicate that the US ships hundreds of thousands of tons of hazardous waste to Mexico annually, including lead-acid car batteries and recyclable materials such as plastic, paper, and metal. Environmental groups are concerned about Mexico's capacity to manage these imports without exacerbating pollution and public health risks.