Arsenic Legacy in Lake Bottom Sediments From Historic N.S. Mine Worries Researcher

Runoff is seen at a historical tailing area, which drains towards the brook that feeds into Lake Charles, at the Montague mine site near Halifax, in a June 2019 handout photo. Findings from a study describing the arsenic legacy left in lake-bottom sediments near an abandoned Halifax gold mine are setting off alarm bells for a senior cancer researcher. HO-Saint Mary's University Department Of Environmental Science, Linda Campbell, *Mandatory Credit* / The Canadian Press

HALIFAX—Findings from a study describing the arsenic legacy left in lake−bottom sediments near an abandoned Halifax gold mine are setting off alarm bells for a senior cancer researcher.

A paper published Monday in the journal Science of the Total Environment says a dated core sample taken from the bottom of Lake Charles discovered arsenic at 4,960 milligrams per kilogram, more than 280 times higher than levels “where biological harm is expected.”