An Update on a Public Health Research Program Regarding Arsenic in Maine Well Water

Presentation (pdf document)

Andrew E. Smith, S.M., Sc.D., State Toxicologist & Director, Environmental & Occupational Health Program, Maine Center for Disease Control, Augusta, ME.

Approximately half of Maine's population obtains its drinking water from private domestic wells. The occurrence of wells with elevated arsenic is well documented. Most of the public health concern regarding arsenic in drinking water has focused on the readily preventable cancer risk. More recent studies are causing an increasing concern about potential effects of arsenic on reproductive outcomes and effects on cognitive development of children. Over the past 5 years, Maine CDC and its collaborators have engaged in several public health focused research activities to address a range of questions including: a) what percentage of Maine households have wells with elevated arsenic; b) what percentage of Maine households have tested their well water for arsenic; c) is there significant residual exposure to arsenic after a home installs a point-of-use treatment system or switches to bottled water, and is this different for children versus adults; and d) how do household arsenic removal systems perform in the real world. The latest findings from these completed and ongoing studies will be presented and discussed.