Before some Watson residents whip themselves up into too much hysteria over the finding of arsenic-contamination in the soil of suburban gardens, as they appeared to be doing at the weekend, they should consider several points. Arsenic is a naturally occurring substance and unless you eat quite a lot of soil, there is no danger to health; it does not even transmit to vegetables grown in contaminated soil. Last year the Legislative Assembly’s Planning and Environment Committee heard from two toxicologists that the health of residents living near former sheep dip sites had not suffered anything from abnormal levels of arsenic in the soil. None was found in urine tests and it is an easily testable substance. That position still holds.
One of the troubles is that in a pre-election climate the Government offered to buy the houses of several residents in Theodore for well over market values, and in at least one case the offer was accepted. That has unfortunately become the benchmark. It might have been better if the toxicologists had been brought in before the pay-outs.
The tragedy is that over-reaction will cause more harm to residents than the arsenic. Excessive arsenic in the soil should cause concern, but not hysteria. It means there should be testing for arsenic in urine, hair and fingernails. Only if it is shown to be in people’s bodies or if very substantial quantities over the safety are limit found should evacuations and pay-outs be contemplated.