The Clemson University Experiment Station has approved funding for research on arsenic in water resources. A worldwide problem, there are coastal areas in South Carolina with above-average levels of naturally occurring arsenic. Clemson biologist Lisa Bain studies killfish, using it as a model to see the effects of arsenic on early stages of growth. Her research indicates that even low percentages of the poison harm killfish—a small, hardy and prolific fish. Arsenic at nonfatal levels can make people sick. The poison has been linked to brain development problems in children and cancers in adults.
