INUVIK - After test studies in the spring showed high levels of arsenic in each of Inuvik's quarries, the town has hired an environmental management firm based in Calgary to take a closer look at arsenic levels in the ground throughout the community.

Town of Inuvik SAO Sara Brown said the company Meridian Environmental Ltd. is expected to start examining soils this fall, and file a report early next year.

The focus of the study, said Dr. David Williams, lead researcher on the project, is to find out how much arsenic is present in Inuvik and how much of it is naturally occurring.

Even though he has little data to work with, he said he expects arsenic levels to be higher than the country's average, which is 10 parts per million (ppm). Williams has previously conducted such tests in Yellowknife, where levels of arsenic were found to be high.

"The purpose here is to determine the naturally occurring level of arsenic," he said. "Is it considered contamination or is it considered natural? Based on that, we would develop a new guideline that was applicable to the Inuvik area."

Arsenic is proven to be a cancer-causing substance. But he said it would have to be ingested in large doses to cause serious health problems. Williams stressed that the project shouldn't alarm residents.

"It isn't something that people should be concerned about," he said.

Brown said the drinking water is closely monitored for arsenic and to this point there's no reason for concern. She said the town just wants to get a clear idea of what the arsenic levels are in Inuvik.

"You have to define the problem and the extent of it," she said. "You have to define what the risk is and then define what your protocol will be to mitigate it."