Arsenic is a known carcinogen and environmental pollutant commonly found in ground water throughout New England. The reliance on private wells and lenient, water-testing laws in New Hampshire has increased health concerns across the state, where more than 10% of the population is estimated to be chronically exposed to high levels of Arsenic. Previous studies on Arsenic's effect on mammalian cells have identified multiple biological effects, such as an increase in reactive oxidative species and activation of cancer-causing genes (p53). However, most of these studies have focused on high Arsenic doses that are not representative of chronic concentrations. In this study, we use environmentally relevant, chronic Arsenic concentrations to study the stress responses in mammalian cells. To quantify our results, we use two celluar assays or techniques to measure stress responses in our cells when chronically exposed to Arsenic during a 24-h period.
