Faculty First Year Seminars 197CHEM - How much Arsenic do we eat?

Is it safe? An introduction to the ideas that we need protect ourselves from naturally occurring toxic chemical substances in our environment. We will look at the details of what arsenic compounds are in our food, how they got there and whether they are potentially harmful. We will discuss (a) the current regulations concerning arsenic in drinking water, and (b) the reasons why consumer advocacy groups are calling for regulations governing the concentrations of arsenic in food and in rice in particular. The key role of chemical analysis in providing reliable information of chemical measurement technologies will be critically evaluated.

Freshmen Only