Biologist calls for less arsenic in apple juice

Lowering arsenic levels in apple juice is a step in the right direction, but regulators could—and should—go further, says Clemson University biologist Lisa Bain. She researches the genetic and developmental effects of arsenic on animals. The U-S Food and Drug Administration is moving to decrease the amount of arsenic allowed in apple juice to 10 parts per billion – the same level the EPA has set for drinking water. Bain advocates halving the established level to five parts per billion. Apple juice arsenic levels rose to public concern when a consumer group tested 94 samples of apple juice and found 5 percent had amounts greater than 10 parts per billion.