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Facts About Arsenic
The National Academy of Sciences found in its 1999 report, Arsenic in Drinking Water, that:
Arsenic is one of the most prevalent contaminants of health concern in drinking water, and is present in the tap water of over 12 million Americans at a concentration above 10 ppb. Studies have linked long-term exposure to arsenic in drinking water to cancer of the bladder, lungs, skin, kidney, nasal passages, liver, and prostate. Non-cancer effects of ingesting arsenic include cardiovascular, pulmonary, immunological, neurological, and endocrine (e.g., diabetes) effects. On October 31, 2001, after receiving many public comments and conducting several more scientific studies, the Bush administration decided to stop delaying the 10 ppb standard adopted under the Clinton administration. The environmental community as well as public health groups were relieved that the administration accepted this standard, rather than taking a step in the wrong direction. However, many studies have indicated that low levels of arsenic, even levels lower than 10 ppb may pose a serious health threat. The new standard is a step in the right direction but we may need to do better in the future in order to truly protect public health. For more information, please contact Ananda Hirsch at the Sierra Club at ananda.hirsch@sierraclub.org Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use | © 2008 Sierra Club |
EPA established an arsenic standard of 50 ppb in 1975, based on a Public Health Service standard originally established in 1942, and before arsenic was known to cause cancer. In January, 2001, after 25 years of public comment and debate, millions of dollars in research, and at least three missed statutory deadlines, the EPA lowered the standard to 10 parts per billion. Then on March 20, 2001, the Bush administration withdrew the EPA's recently revised standard of 10 ppb.