Crystal Clear

Abstract

Arsenic is a known toxin—and it is in our water. But should it be a cause for concern?Crystal Clear? Arsenic in Indiana’s Drinking Water explores this question, and the answermay be surprising. This short documentary explains the origins of arsenic in our drinkingwater supply and consults experts to identify its impact. Students enrolled in the class WaterQuality Indiana at Ball State University began producing the documentary in January 2019.All the students involved had backgrounds in science, but none had prior media-productionexperience. Expert interviews included in the documentary included Mark Elliot, from theHoosier Microbiological Lab; Jessi Haeft, Ph.D., an assistant professor at Ball State University’sDepartment of Environment, Geology, and Natural Resources; and Bradley Hayes, M.D.,a doctor affiliated with Indiana University Health’s Ball Memorial Hospital. Key takeawaysfrom the students’ aggregate reflections include: (1) their general underestimation of the timeand effort that goes into documentary production; (2) their acknowledgment of arsenic as anaturally occurring toxin, but one that is not currently of paramount concern in regards toIndiana’s drinking water supply; and (3) the noticeable increase in their own media literacyas a result of this experience, which may have longer-term implications for these aspiringscience professionals.