Episode 24
Kelsey George was in her mid-twenties when she rented an apartment in Hancock County, ME. There she drank, bathed in, cooked and irrigated with well water that was over the federal limit of 10 ppl with arsenic. She got sicker and sicker and it took a long time before she realized she should test her well water that was odorless, colorless and tasted normal. The invisible arsenic was exactly what was making her so ill.
One in six Mainers who drink well water are exposed to unsafe arsenic levels. Kelsey strongly advocates for testing well water regularly, to be sure it is safe.
Kelsey George worked with Defend Our Health and testified before the Maine Legislature. She advocated for the new law that went into effect on January 1, 2022. Now landlords have to test their residential wells for arsenic levels, and share the results with residents. This precaution would have protected Kelsey from her toxic arsenic poisoning, had it been in place when she was renting and drinking well water in 2009.
__________________Resources__________________
Assistance is available:
Free Well Water Testing for Low Income Mainers
Maine water testing labs:
A list of Accredited Maine Water Testing Labs
Public Water Supply: Maine Tracking Network
Maine Arsenic Video: More information
Common symptoms of arsenic poisoning:
Skin - red, swollen, irritated, new warts, lesions
Gut - abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting
Heart - abnormal rhythm, disease
Neurological - confusion, numbness
Body - muscle cramps, headaches
Long-term exposures:
- darkening/ thickening skin
- constant sore throat
- persistent digestive issues
- cancer (bladder, skin, lung, liver, kidney)
Play audio, below:
Kelsey George was in her mid-twenties when she rented an apartment in Hancock County, ME. There she drank, bathed in, cooked and irrigated with well water that was over the federal limit of 10 ppl with arsenic. She got sicker and sicker and it took a long time before she realized she should test her well water that was odorless, colorless and tasted normal. The invisible arsenic was exactly what was making her so ill.
One in six Mainers who drink well water are exposed to unsafe arsenic levels. Kelsey strongly advocates for testing well water regularly, to be sure it is safe.
Kelsey George worked with Defend Our Health and testified before the Maine Legislature. She advocated for the new law that went into effect on January 1, 2022. Now landlords have to test their residential wells for arsenic levels, and share the results with residents. This precaution would have protected Kelsey from her toxic arsenic poisoning, had it been in place when she was renting and drinking well water in 2009.
__________________Resources__________________
Assistance is available:
Free Well Water Testing for Low Income Mainers
Maine water testing labs:
A list of Accredited Maine Water Testing Labs
Public Water Supply: Maine Tracking Network
Maine Arsenic Video: More information
Common symptoms of arsenic poisoning:
Skin - red, swollen, irritated, new warts, lesions
Gut - abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting
Heart - abnormal rhythm, disease
Neurological - confusion, numbness
Body - muscle cramps, headaches
Long-term exposures:
- darkening/ thickening skin
- constant sore throat
- persistent digestive issues
- cancer (bladder, skin, lung, liver, kidney)
Play audio, below:
| wmw_kelsey_george_024_101822_for_podcast.mp3 |
I first interviewed Kelsey about her arsenic story in 2020, while I studied at The Salt Institute for Documentary Studies. You can hear that separate feature "To Know Full Well", below.
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