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Arsenic Contamination in Drinking Water Linked with Diabetes, New Study Finds

Map of Arsenic Contamination in U.S. Water Supplies (Shaded Areas = Contamination)

Inorganic arsenic may raise the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, according to a new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Pesticides and metallurgy use large amounts of arsenic and their use often contributes to arsenic contamination in agricultural and industrial areas. Arsenic can also enter the water supply naturally, from the surrounding bedrock. Long-term or extreme exposure to arsenic greatly increases the risk of many forms of cancer.