The latest in Ensia’s “Troubled Waters” series about the safety of the water supply, this story by Maria Dolan (@mariaidolan) reveals that many communities around the U.S., especially in the Southwest, are drinking water contaminated by unsafe levels of arsenic. Exposure to even low levels of this naturally occurring toxin over long periods of time can damage children’s development and cause cancer and other health problems, and new research suggests there may be no safe exposure level. Dolan explores potential solutions to this problem, whose burden falls heaviest on American communities that are already marginalized. Image: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
