CONCORD — New rules to reduce the levels of arsenic in New Hampshire’s drinking water were signed into law by Gov. Chris Sununu last week.
The law, which was supported by researchers at Dartmouth College, lowers the maximum amount of arsenic allowed in public drinking water to 5 parts per billion, halving standards set by the federal government in 2001.
The move makes New Hampshire the first state in New England and second nationally to adopt such stringent standards. New Jersey adopted the five parts per billion level in 2006.
“Reducing the maximum arsenic levels in drinking water is consistent with the decades of research from Dartmouth and others linking the contaminant to negative health effects,” Celia Chen, director of the college’s Toxic Metals Superfund Research Program, said in a news release on Saturday. “This action will help safeguard the well-being of citizens across the state of New Hampshire.”
Researchers say arsenic — a tasteless, colorless and odorless semi-metal — is known to increase the risk of bladder cancer and reduce the IQ of school age children.
It also can negatively affect the health of pregnant women and their children by contributing to increased blood pressure and raising the risk of gestational diabetes and upper respiratory tract infections in infants exposed to arsenic in the womb.
The law doesn’t apply to private wells, but officials hopes the new rules will encourage owners to take action. About 30% of private wells in New Hampshire have arsenic rates above 5 ppb, according to the Dartmouth news release.