Aiming to thwart arsenic-induced cancer

Arsenic occurs naturally in soil and minerals and can enter the air, water and land from wind-blown dust, water runoff and leaching. It may also enter the environment when volcanoes erupt, during mining and smelting of ores, or from coal-fired power plants and incinerators that use coal and certain waste products. Structures built from lumber that was pressure-treated before 2004 may still contain chromated copper arsenate, a chemical preservative that helps protect wood from rot and insects.