Hawaiian housing boom meets new challenge -- arsenic

By Brian Cole

Published on April 06, 2006

The results should shed some light on both the health of local residents as well as the prospects for the Hawaiian housing boom. Arsenic is a chemical that was used on sugar plantations throughout Hawaii from 1915 to 1950.

The test is part of a larger effort by state and federal authorities to map the presence of arsenic in the islands' soil, especially where new homes may be built. The findings could be alarming to local communities but state officials, never-the-less, want to assess the situation and determine what kind of threat the arsenic poses.

"We don't want to ring the alarm bell but we want to increase awareness," said David Bernstein, the official who is heading the testing effort.

The acceptable level of arsenic is 22 parts per million, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. In 2004, when arsenic testing started in Keaau, arsenic levels were at 500 parts per million.

Arsenic does not dissolve in water and stays locked in the soil. If exposed to high quantities, it can lead to skin disease and cancer.

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