Comments on: Jean Bahr on arsenic in drinking water http://earthsky.org/earth/arsenic-and-groundwater-safety A Clear Voice for Science Fri, 25 May 2012 12:45:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: mteal http://earthsky.org/earth/arsenic-and-groundwater-safety/comment-page-1#comment-13171 mteal Sat, 19 Sep 2009 20:22:32 +0000 http://208.96.63.114/?p=2663#comment-13171 I would like this discussion to go further...(I have arsenic in my well water, 8 x the allowed)...a more precise listing of illnesses associated with aresenic ingestion through drinking would be nice. Is is safe to bathe in? My bigger question, can I grow food with arsenic laced water without consequences? When I asked around (i.e., my county extension office, U of A in Tucson, etc.,), I found out that U of A was writing a proposal for a grant to study that very thing because nobody knew the answer, but have not heard a word since. Ms. Bahr or anybody out there, that can help? I would like this discussion to go further…(I have arsenic in my well water, 8 x the allowed)…a more precise listing of illnesses associated with aresenic ingestion through drinking would be nice. Is is safe to bathe in? My bigger question, can I grow food with arsenic laced water without consequences? When I asked around (i.e., my county extension office, U of A in Tucson, etc.,), I found out that U of A was writing a proposal for a grant to study that very thing because nobody knew the answer, but have not heard a word since. Ms. Bahr or anybody out there, that can help?

]]> By: a p garcia http://earthsky.org/earth/arsenic-and-groundwater-safety/comment-page-1#comment-13161 a p garcia Sat, 19 Sep 2009 10:11:09 +0000 http://208.96.63.114/?p=2663#comment-13161 A good example of natural pollution. A good example of natural pollution.

]]> By: gorge http://earthsky.org/earth/arsenic-and-groundwater-safety/comment-page-1#comment-13151 gorge Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:39:32 +0000 http://208.96.63.114/?p=2663#comment-13151 thats was cool thats was cool

]]> By: Benjamin Napier http://earthsky.org/earth/arsenic-and-groundwater-safety/comment-page-1#comment-7833 Benjamin Napier Mon, 27 Apr 2009 07:50:08 +0000 http://208.96.63.114/?p=2663#comment-7833 <p>I was managing a radionuclide contaminated soil remediation in Ohio several years ago. Because it was a Federal site, the <span class="caps">EPA</span> and <span class="caps">OEPA</span> were both there and analyzing for everything they could think of. After removing 6” of soil over 45 acres, the analysis showed elevated levels of arsenic. We were instructed to take out more soil in several areas. We did so and the areas were resampled. The arsenic levels were even higher. We did this a couple more times with the arsenic levels steadily increasing with depth. The excavation was finally halted when folks realized that we were trying to remove nature from the area.</p> <p>If you are to go to the northern Idaho area and check the history, you will find that folks there were losing teeth back around the turn of the 20th century in the gold camps. We since have learned it was heavy metal poisoning from the ground water. In that case, the treasure we were chasing was also the enemy killing us. There are many things in nature that can and will kill us.</p> <p>Nature is not kind, nor does it “like” us or any other animal. It just is. We have been lucky enough to develop minds with which to control the effects of our environment to some extent. We can heat and cool our buildings and clean water to drink.</p> <p>Without the trappings of our modern industrial world, we are back in the hunter-gatherer lifestyle just fighting to survive. At that point, literature and music don’t matter. just survival.</p> I was managing a radionuclide contaminated soil remediation in Ohio several years ago. Because it was a Federal site, the EPA and OEPA were both there and analyzing for everything they could think of. After removing 6” of soil over 45 acres, the analysis showed elevated levels of arsenic. We were instructed to take out more soil in several areas. We did so and the areas were resampled. The arsenic levels were even higher. We did this a couple more times with the arsenic levels steadily increasing with depth. The excavation was finally halted when folks realized that we were trying to remove nature from the area.

If you are to go to the northern Idaho area and check the history, you will find that folks there were losing teeth back around the turn of the 20th century in the gold camps. We since have learned it was heavy metal poisoning from the ground water. In that case, the treasure we were chasing was also the enemy killing us. There are many things in nature that can and will kill us.

Nature is not kind, nor does it “like” us or any other animal. It just is. We have been lucky enough to develop minds with which to control the effects of our environment to some extent. We can heat and cool our buildings and clean water to drink.

Without the trappings of our modern industrial world, we are back in the hunter-gatherer lifestyle just fighting to survive. At that point, literature and music don’t matter. just survival.

]]> By: Claudia Crowley http://earthsky.org/earth/arsenic-and-groundwater-safety/comment-page-1#comment-5268 Claudia Crowley Sat, 25 Apr 2009 10:41:50 +0000 http://208.96.63.114/?p=2663#comment-5268 <p>A good example of how natural is not always safe. Not all pollution is man-made. The difference is that we know better.</p> A good example of how natural is not always safe. Not all pollution is man-made. The difference is that we know better.

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