Arsenic has been recognized as a poison since ancient times. It is found naturally occurring in the Earth’s crust. Arsenic can get into lakes, rivers, and underground water bodies through many different processes. Arsenic can naturally contaminate groundwater, when mineral deposits or rocks containing arsenic dissolve and drain into aquifers. Arsenic has also been found to be released into the environment through the burning o

If I were president, I would set the standard as low as economically feasible. Since much of the water in America is nationalized through the bureau of reclamation, it is the government’s duty to provide the people with a safe water source. If the government cannot afford to do so, they should not have taken on the job. The president needs to hold a conference with the senators and representatives from all the states and provide unbiased information on the effects of arsenic in drinking water. From there, the representatives can contact local and city governments and educate them. There should be a national brochure that could be circulated providing this information to the American people. If people are educated about the affects of arsenic, they will surely be able to cope with a small tax going toward cleaning up the American water supply. This way the people the most affected by arsenic in the worst areas will not have it left all up to themselves to pay for the expensive equipment and processes to clean the water.

According to a 1999 study by the National Academy of Sciences, arsenic in drinking water causes bladder, lung and skin cancer, and may cause kidney and liver cancer. The study also found that arsenic harms the central and peripheral nervous systems, as well as heart and blood vessels, and causes serious skin problems. It also may cause birth defects and reproductive problems. There are still those who argue that the new standard is too strict, however, if one had the option to drink water that might cause these ailments or to drink water free from poison, one would most definitely choose the latter.

According to the National Academy of Science, “…the drinking water at the current EPA standard, 50 parts per billion, could easily result in a total cancer risk of one in one-hundred,” about a 10,000 times higher cancer risk than EPA would allow for carcinogens in food. Here is a map of the United States showing the levels of arsenic contamination

Arsenic has many serious health affects, especially when one has prolonged exposure to

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