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Health implications of arsenic in drinking water
Author(s) -
Pontius Frederick W.,
Brown Kenneth G.,
Chen ChienJen
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
journal ‐ american water works association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.466
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1551-8833
pISSN - 0003-150X
DOI - 10.1002/j.1551-8833.1994.tb06246.x
Subject(s) - arsenic , arsenic contamination of groundwater , environmental health , environmental science , environmental chemistry , medicine , chemistry , materials science , metallurgy
Definitive answers regarding arsenic health risks at low exposures will be elusive without additional research. The adequacy of the current maximum contaminant level (MCL) for arsenic is being evaluated by the US Environmental Protection Agency. If recent theoretical estimates of chronic effects and cancer risks prove accurate, the current MCL may not effectively protect health. Knowledge of arsenic pharmacokinetics and mechanisms in humans, however, is not complete enough to provide a definitive answer, and current epidemiologic evidence is too inconsistent and too fraught with uncertainty regarding arsenic exposure to be helpful in assessing low‐level risks.