I can see peoples' worry about arsenic in wood pellets, but according to a
recent study, the results of which were published in this months Popular
Science magazine, you should perhaps be more worried about arsenic in your
drinking water.
 
According to this study, the last time the EPA set a standard for arsenic
levels in water was some time in the 1940's and that level was 50 parts
per billion.  Levels that high are easily beyond those which have been
shown to cause a number of various types of cancer, as well as other
chronic illnesses.
 
After this study was done, the EPA lowered that standard to only 10 PPB,
which MOST, but not ALL, areas of the US were already below, but even
spokespeople for the EPA have stated that their reasons for not lowering
it to a safer 5 PPB is purely economical.  Many areas are between 5 and
10 PPB, and many city and state governments would have to shell out
considerable cash to repair that problem.
 
There is a map here:
http://co.water.usgs.gov/trace/pubs/fs-063-00/fig3.html
You can see what the levels of arsenic in your public water are.
 
Melissa Barnes
[Posted in FML issue 3664]