Open AccessMetal Attraction: An Ironclad Solution to Arsenic Contamination?
Author(s) -
Lance Frazer
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
environmental health perspectives
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.257
H-Index - 282
eISSN - 1552-9924
pISSN - 0091-6765
DOI - 10.1289/ehp.113-a398
Subject(s) - arsenic , arsenic contamination of groundwater , metalloid , arsenic poisoning , contamination , contaminated water , china , environmental science , environmental protection , environmental health , geography , environmental chemistry , chemistry , metal , medicine , biology , ecology , archaeology , organic chemistry
Inorganic arsenic-the more acutely toxic form of this metalloid element-contaminates drinking water supplies around the world. In the United States, the most serious arsenic contamination occurs in the West, Midwest, Southwest, and Northeast; as many as 20 million people-many getting their water from unregulated private wells-may be exposed to excess arsenic in their drinking water. In Bangladesh, it's estimated that as many as 40 million people may be suffering from arsenic poisoning; contaminated drinking water is also a problem in many other countries, including Argentina, China, Chile, Ghana, Hungary, India, and Mexico.