Arsenic Links

1. Factual links

   Some of the websites providing factual information on Arsenic:

   • 1.1 Some general information on arsenic
   • 1.2 Information about arsenic in drinking water
   • 1.3 Information about other possible sources of exposure to arsenic
   • 1.4 Some arsenic news sites
   • 1.5 Some policy-related websites
2. Other Views

1. Factual links

1.1 Some general information on arsenic

• Case study on arsenic by the American Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR): www.atsdr.cdc.gov/HEC/CSEM/arsenic/index.html  (2003).

• Questions & answers on arsenic from the Dartmouth College Toxic Metals Research Program at: www.dartmouth.edu/~toxmetal/TXQAas.shtml 

• General data on arsenic properties from the Australia A to Z of Materials website (AZoM) at: www.azom.com/details.asp?ArticleID=1840 

• The Sustainable Development Networking Program for Bangladesh (SDNP) answers FAQs: www.sdnbd.org/sdi/issues/arsenic/articles/arsenic%20faq.htm 

1.2 Information about arsenic in drinking water

• The World Health Organization (WHO) extensively addresses arsenic in drinking water at: www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/arsenic/en/ , including a discussion paper on health risk substitution in arsenic mitigation  and a factsheet on arsenic in drinking water 

• FAQs on arsenic in drinking water from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NPWA) at: www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/qarsenic.asp 

• Health canada addresses arsenic in drinking water at: www.hc-sc.gc.ca/iyh-vsv/environ/arsenic_e.html 

• The Arsenic Crisis Information Centre (ACIC) extensively covers water pollution in Bangladesh and provides many links at: http://bicn.com/acic/ 

• The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) addresses arsenic poisoning through drinking water from groundwater sources at: www.unescap.org/esd/water/groundwater/arsenic/index.asp 

• The Canadian council of Ministers of the Environment offers a page on the effects of arsenic on human health and presents guidelines concerning water resources: www.ccme.ca/sourcetotap/arsenic.html 

• The Winsconsin's Arsenic in Drinking Water & Groundwater information page
  (WDNR) at: www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/dwg/arsenic/ 

1.3 Information about other possible sources of exposure to arsenic

• A factsheet on arsenic in the diet of the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) at: www.foodstandards.gov.uk/science/surveillance/fsis2004branch/fsis5104arsenic 

• A US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) fact sheet on general aspects of arsenic, with a particular focus on inhalation at: www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/arsenic.html 

• The US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) provides extensive information on chromated copper arsenate and its use as wood preservative at: www.epa.gov/oppad001/reregistration/cca/ 

• The European Commission held a public consultation on the use of arsenic in the preservation of wood at: http://ec.europa.eu/comm/enterprise/chemicals/legislation/markrestr/arsenic/ 

1.4 Some arsenic news sites

• The Environmental Health Perspective journal of the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) provides "Environews" on arsenic at: http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/topic/arsenic.html 

• The London Arsenic Group (LAG) from the University College London provides news on arsenic picked up from the press at: www.es.ucl.ac.uk/research/lag/as/ 

1.5 Some policy-related websites

• The US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) standard for arsenic in drinking water at: www.epa.gov/safewater/arsenic 

• The European Commission Directive relating to restrictions on the marketing and use of arsenic at:  http://eur-lex.europa.eu

2. Other Views

Links in this section have been selected as examples of other views on Arsenic. This list of links is only a sample and it is not suggested that it is complete nor that it is fully representative of all the existing views. GreenFacts asbl takes no position concerning the views expressed in these linked documents.

Some of the sites suggesting that arsenic poses less risk

• The American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) concludes that "there is little, if any, evidence of a detrimental health effect in humans from inorganic arsenic in drinking water at the current MCL of 50 µg/L or below, either in the United States or elsewhere.": www.acsh.org/healthissues/ .
• The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) "applauds the US Consumer Product Safety Commission’s unanimous decision (...) not to ban the pesticide, chromated copper arsenate, in playground equipment." It states that "for more than 70 years, wood treated with the preservative that includes trace levels of arsenic has been used in commercial and residential products without ill health effects. The chemical prevents decay and insect damage." www.cei.org/gencon/003,03739.cfm