Situating People and Place in Cancer Prevention: Arsenic in Drinking Water in Global to Local Context

Arsenic in drinking water is a significant global health concern with long-term ingestion associated with the development of several types of cancer. Moving from the globally significant case of arsenic mass poisoning in the tube wells of Bangladesh to the local experiences of well users in a regional arsenic hotspot in Nova Scotia, Canada, this chapter explores how a naturally occurring groundwater contaminant materializes indiscriminately across space but produces uneven public health impacts within communities. Adopting a hydrosocial lens, we explore how arsenic-contaminated waters are co-produced through the interface of hydrogeologic flows, sociotechnical systems, and cultural perceptions of risk that are specific to place. Through this review of contaminated waters in contrasting geographic settings we show how interventions in drinking water protection and cancer prevention are most impactful when integrated in place and adapted to specific population needs. The challenges of uprooting structural inequalities in access to safe well water are further considered with reference to geospatially informed and community-based approaches that are making visible the marginalized populations disproportionately bearing the lifetime health burden of contaminated well drinking water.