A June 24 article by Daniel Moreau noted that the Naderite NYPIRG (New York Public Interest Research Group) is repeating the groundless fears over arsenic-based compounds in playground equipment, but the article quoted ACSH's Jeff Stier for perspective:
[Stier] described the possibility of arsenic poisoning from playgrounds as a "nonissue."
"You can't get AIDS from shaking someone's hand," Mr. Stier said. "Likewise, you can't get cancer from playing on pressure-treated wood -- unless you're eating or sucking the wood.
"Any toxicology expert knows that it's the amount of exposure that counts," Mr. Stier said. "It's important to warn parents about the potential dangers. Some of them are real, and some of them aren't. We need to focus on the real risks.
"It's irresponsible to scare parents about this," Mr. Stier said. "We should be focusing on the bigger picture."
