International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Review Natural Background and Anthropogenic Arsenic Enrichment in Florida Soils, Surface Water, and Groundwater: A Review with a Discussion on Public Health Risk Thomas M. Missimer 1,*, Christopher M. Teaf 2, William T. Beeson 3, Robert G. Maliva 1,4, John Woolschlager 1 and Douglas J. Covert 5 1 Emergent Technologies Institute, U. A. Whitaker College of Engineering, Florida Gulf Coast University, 16301 Innovation Lane, Fort Myers, FL 33913, USA;
[email protected] (R.G.M.);
[email protected] (J.W.) 2 Center for Biomedical & Toxicological Research, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32310, USA;
[email protected] 3 Beeson Consulting, Inc., 12836 Kedleston Circle, Fort Myers, FL 33912, USA;
[email protected] 4 WSP USA Inc., 1567 Hayley Lane, Suite 202, Fort Myers, FL 33907, USA 5 Hazardous Substance & Waste Management Research, 2976 Wellington Circle West, Tallahassee, FL 32309, USA;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +239-810-3009 Received: 29 August 2018; Accepted: 14 October 2018; Published: 17 October 2018 Abstract: Florida geologic units and soils contain a wide range in concentrations of naturally- occurring arsenic. The average range of bulk rock concentrations is 1 to 13.1 mg/kg with concentrations in accessary minerals being over 1000 mg/kg. Florida soils contain natural arsenic concentrations which can exceed 10 mg/kg in some circumstances, with organic-rich soils often having the highest concentrations. Anthropogenic sources of arsenic have added about 610,000 metric tons of arsenic into the Florida environment since 1970, thereby increasing background concentrations in soils.