How does arsenic contaminated drinking water affect human health?
In 1942, when a standard for arsenic was first established, the key health effects of ingesting arsenic were believed to be limited to skin cancer and black foot disease. Since that time, extensive research has been conducted around the world that links arsenic to a wide range of health effects including both cancer and non-cancer causing illnesses. The majority of the research on the topic has been performed outside of the U.S., which has been a key factor in the controversy over what level of arsenic is safe for drinking water. In the late 1990’s the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) directed the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to analyze the research conducted on the health effects of arsenic and make an appropriate recommendation for the U.S. In their analysis, the NAS used research published through the fall of 1999. In March of 2001, the EPA turned to the NAS again, asking the organization to review more than 300 recent studies on the health effects of arsenic. This w
