112 old counters found at the bottom of Chen Ha cenote

During a routine cleaning of cenotes on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, a group of divers came across a surprising find at the bottom of one of the caves. Among various debris lying underwater were 112 old electricity meters.

According to information published in the Mexican media, the corroded meters contain highly harmful components such as copper, lead and magnets, which pose a threat not only to the animals that have their habitat in the cenotes, but also to the local inhabitants who draw water nearby for themselves, their animals and to irrigate their cultivated land.

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Archaeologist Sergio Grosjean Abimerhi, an expert on cenotes in Yucatán, said that even water treatment, which is a common practice that makes water safe for human consumption, does not eliminate heavy metals from the water.

The counters were found using metal detectors as they were buried in 700 kg of sediment on the bottom. All due to the fact that Chen Há is an open cenote and all sorts of organic matter often ends up on the bottom. During the clean-up, the divers also found well-preserved dead fish and three crocodile skulls.

We need to find an answer to the question of whether heavy metals caused the fish deaths, Grosjean said

Scientific studies conducted in recent years have shown that Yucatan waters are contaminated with carcinogenic compounds. Grosjean believes that discarded items such as the meters just found are probably contributing to the problem.