EPA estimated that cutting allowable arsenic from 50 to 10 ppb would prevent about thirteen cases of bladder cancer and two to five times as many cases of lung cancer each year. Over a human lifetime of 70 years, that comes out to almost 1000 cases of bladder cancer and 2000 to 5000 cases of lung cancer. EPA did not estimate the reductions in skin or prostate cancers, diabetes, nervous system damage, immune system damage, or cardiovascular disease. Glucocorticoids are involved in most of the human body's basic systems. They help to regulate the immune system, the central nervous system, and changes in blood, bones and kidneys, as well as the body's use of sugars, starches, fats, and proteins.
Glucocorticoids affect weight, growth, and development.
Studies of laboratory animals show that glucocorticoids suppress some tumors. Arsenic may promote cancers by interfering with this tumor-suppressing mechanism. For President Bush, arsenic poisoning provides an opportunity for humor. To base our decision on sound science, the scientists told us we needed to test the water glasses of about 3,000 people. Thank you for participating.