Contamination is the presence of a constituent, impurity, or some other undesirable element that spoils, corrupts, infects, makes unfit, or makes inferior a material, physical body, natural environment, workplace, etc The contamination of groundwater and drinking water can result from natural or human activities. Arsenic is a naturally occurring metallic element that is found in soil, rocks, air, plants, and animals. Arsenic in soil and rocks can act as sources for groundwater contamination. Through processes such as dissolution, weathering, and erosion, arsenic can be released into the environment, resulting in the contamination of groundwater and drinking water supplies. Arsenic sources associated with human activities include agriculture, use as a wood preservative, the burning of fuels and wastes, smelting and mining, paper production, glass manufacturing, and cement manufacturing. In 1997, almost 8 million pounds of arsenic were released to the environment by human activities