AUGUSTA (AP) – Researchers are recruiting students in Maine and New Hampshire to participate in a study evaluating arsenic’s effect on children’s intellectual development.

University of New Hampshire and Columbia University researchers are recruiting 500 students in grades 3 through 5 whose families use private well water.

The study began in 2000 in Bangladesh and later moved to the United States. It concentrates on Maine and New Hampshire children because private wells in the states are at risk for natural arsenic contamination.

In Maine, researchers studied U.S. Geological Survey maps before deciding to recruit students from 80 Maine families in the Augusta-area towns of Fayette, Manchester, Mount Vernon, Readfield and Wayne.

Those areas have been identified as being especially high in arsenic. In the Augusta area, the rate of contaminated wells is nearly twice that of the rest of the state, according to geologists.

Study participants receive free analyses of their homes’ water supply and advice on treating any problems found with their wells.

Researchers conduct one-hour home visits with participating students’ mothers. They collect water samples, ask a designated series of questions and conduct reasoning tests.

The investigators later meet with student participants at school, where they administer intelligence assessments and collect toe nail samples.

“It’s really unintrusive and the information is helpful to the homeowner,” said Rich Abramson, superintendent of schools for four of the towns.

Copy the Story Link