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Arsenic
suspected in death of man and illness of 12
NT Times - 4/29
Arsenic
was probably the cause in the death of one man and illnesses of
a dozen people after a church gathering, officials said today.
Gov.
John Baldacci appeared at a news conference today with state law
enforcement and health officials, trying to reassure people in
this area of northeastern Maine where the illnesses occurred.
A
78-year-old man died and 12 people became ill after coffee and
treats following the church service on Sunday at Gustaf Adolph
Lutheran Church in New Sweden.
State
officials would not indicate a source of the arsenic and would
not specify whether tests were being conducted on the church's
well water, a potential source of naturally occurring arsenic
in Maine. They said owners of private wells in the area did not
need to be concerned nor have their water tested.
The
state health director, Dr. Dora Anne Mills, said a preliminary
analysis identified arsenic as the probable cause of the illnesses.
Five
people remained hospitalized today and seven who had been discharged
from a hospital were readmitted for re-evaluation for arsenic.
An autopsy conducted on the victim was inconclusive, officials
said.
Church
members said they shared coffee as well as sweets and sandwiches
left over from a church bake sale the day before.
All
of those who became ill had tried the coffee, and some reported
that it did not taste good, Tammy Doucette, whose aunt and uncle
fell ill, said.
"They
all said the coffee tasted funny," Ms. Doucette said.
Dr.
Mills said there was no evidence of any continuing arsenic exposures
causing new illnesses in New Sweden or elsewhere.
Arsenic,
a toxic metal, sometimes occurs naturally in groundwater. Two-thirds
of Maine residents use well water, and Maine water has a higher
natural arsenic content than that of other states, Dr. Mills said.
Arsenic can also be found in old pesticides and other products.
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