Residents of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont have a 20 percent higher risk for bladder cancer than the rest of the U.S.
A new study by the National Cancer Institute finds that arsenic in private wells is a possible culprit. With fewer than half of Maine well owners testing for arsenic, some question whether the state is doing enough to spread awareness about its risks.
The elevated risk for developing bladder cancer in northern New England has persisted for more than 50 years. Debra Silverman of the National Cancer Institute and lead researcher of the study says one unique factor in these states may explain why.
“Heavy consumption of drinking water from private, dug wells — those are the shallow wells, less than 50 feet deep — particularly those established prior to 1960, may have contributed to this longstanding bladder cancer excess in northern New England,” she says.
These private, dug wells can more easily be contaminated by man-made sources, and prior to the 1960s, arsenic was an ingredient in pesticides used to treat crops like blueberries, apples and potatoes. But arsenic is still a concern because it occurs naturally in the bedrock.
Even when Silverman examined other risk factors for bladder cancer, like smoking and occupational hazards, they didn’t account for the higher incidence of bladder cancer in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.
“We saw nothing to suggest that other factors were related to the New England excess, other than the private well water,” she says.
“Well the study confirms what we already know, which is we have a public health crisis in Maine,” says Mike Belliveau, executive director of the Environmental Health Strategy Center.
Belliveau is concerned because a 2010 U.S. Geological Survey of private wells in Maine found arsenic levels that exceed federal safety drinking standards, some as much as 10 to 100 times above the standard.
In March, the Environmental Health Strategy Center and several other organizations sent a letter to Gov. Paul LePage, urging him to step up state outreach and education around arsenic.
“More than 100,000 Mainers have unsafe drinking water today, and that’s not right. It’s a matter of environmental injustice,” Belliveau says.
Last year, LePage vetoed a bill that sought to increase testing for arsenic. The LePage administration also failed to reapply for a federal grant that would have supported outreach and testing.
State toxicologist Andrew Smith says about 45 percent of Maine residents with wells have tested them for arsenic.
“That was 2012, and that’s up from about 26 percent in 2003. So, we’re moving, but not as fast as we’d like to be,” he says.
Smith says the state Center for Disease Control is developing new strategies to increase awareness about arsenic. They’ve piloted a targeted mail campaign, and are looking at social media and Web ads as well as working with health providers.
But ultimately, says Smith, it’s up to well owners to test their water every three to five years.
“If you’re on public water supply, someone is doing that for you. But if you’ve got a private well, that responsibility is yours,” he says.
Smith says the state provides free testing for low-income residents, and he urges anyone with questions to call the state at (207) 287-1716 or check out information on the CDC website.
