According to a new, one of a kind research study conducted by USGS (United States Geological Survey), droughts may be causing elevated levels of naturally occurring arsenic to be present in well water. The study also shows that the longer the drought lasts, the higher the likelihood that the levels of arsenic present will exceed safety standards set by the EPA. An estimated 4.1 million people are exposed to unsafe levels of arsenic in their well water, which is a drastic increase in exposure compared to last year. The five states which the study and an existing statistical model estimate will have the highest levels of exposure are Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Texas, and California. This study does not conclude how this affects individual wells, and did not study private domestic wells in Alaska or Hawaii.
