Researchers in Germany have recently reported finding traces of arsenic in samples of beer, saying that some levels found were more than twice what is allowed in drinking water.
The danger is in the filtration of the alcohol. Brewers use diatomaceous earth to give beer a clearer, lighter appearance, which is where the arsenic comes from, according to published reports.
But Gainesville locals have no reason to fear about the chemical in the beer, said Andy Bielecki, bar manager at Swamp Head Brewery, a microbrewery located at 3140 SW 42nd Way.
“The filtering is what caused the arsenic, and we don’t have those issues,” he said. “The only beer we filter is our Wild Night, and we don’t use the same techniques they do to filter ours.”
Bielecki said he considers the study alarming but thinks the biggest issues will come from macrobreweries because they make lighter beers that require clearer appearances.
Andrew Spinnenweber, a 22-year-old UF advertising senior, said if he knew the beer he drank contained arsenic, he wouldn’t buy it.
