Arsenic, Geochemistry, Biotransformation, Oxidation, Reduction 4. Allen P. Davis, Alba Torrents, Oliver J. Hao Environmental Engineering Programs Department of Civil Engineering University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742 8.
Arsenic concerns range from local to international.
The many historic uses of arsenic, especially in pesticides and wood preservatives, have produced significant environmental contamination. In the Mid-Atlantic region high arsenic levels have been detected in soils, groundwater,a nd surface water near facilities for wood treatment, military ordnance testing and pesticide manufacturing and testing, in addition to numerous landfills. Arsenic is also released during mining operations in the Western areas of the regions. The health risks due to arsenic are highlighted by the 1996 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act which aim to set revised U.S. drinking water standards for AS by January 1, 2000. The problems of arsenic in water supplies and its removal remain as some of the top current issues in environmental health.