Arsenic in drinking water is probably one of the most frightening things to contemplate.
You may ask what are the safe arsenic levels in drinking water – and what is the level of arsenic permitted in drinking water by the authorities?
Any level of arsenic in drinking water sounds like a really bad idea, and you may be extremely concerned, to the point where you’d like to eliminate arsenic altogether as you’re understandably concerned about the health effects of current levels of arsenic present in your drinking water.
You may be surprised to hear that trace amounts of arsenic in drinking water delivered to your home, can be perfectly legal, especially if the arsenic in its organic form.
What are thought to be safe arsenic levels in drinking water?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets regulations on the contaminant level of arsenic in public water supplies at 0.010mg/L. The EPA has also set a regulation for drinking water at zero.
What does this mean?
Not all water in the U.S. is free from arsenic. However, your tap water coming from your water systems should be safe. The same types of regulations are set throughout the world. Arsenic is not a safe chemical at all for human consumption. It is an element that is found everywhere. Even if your water is safe right now, it does not mean that it always will be, as contaminant levels in drinking water supplies can fluctuate.
Are these statutory arsenic levels safe enough?
Leaving the responsibility of determining water purity to the people who supply water to your home, could work against the interests of you and your family in terms of health and wellness in the years ahead.
It is a sensible precaution to make sure your water delivery system is continually tested to ensure that safe levels of contaminants are not exceeded, and to detect the presence of any potentially harmful particles, antibiotics or bacteria.
What Is Arsenic?
Arsenic is a natural element found on the Earth’s crust. You can find arsenic in the soil, air or water. Typically arsenic is found within minerals, usually in combination with metals and sulfur.
Some common foods, such as rice, even contain trace amounts of arsenic, but don’t let that alarm you to much. For the most part, rice is perfectly safe.
Arsenic is considered to be a metalloid. It can be found in both organic and inorganic forms. This metalloid is considered highly toxic in its inorganic form.
How could arsenic poisoning affect me and my family?
One of the biggest threats from arsenic you are likely to encounter, is through contaminated groundwater.
Acute symptoms of arsenic exposure include, but are not limited to, the following:
● Abdominal pain
● Vertigo
● Vomiting
● Diarrhea
● Dark Urine
● Dehydration
● Delirium
● Shock
Exposure to arsenic can even cause cardiac issues that could result in death.
What’s the effect of very low doses over long periods?
Long-term exposure in lower levels can affect sensory and motor function, adversely affect your skin, promote cancer, induce liver and kidney issues, and some of these conditions can be fatal.
Always seek medical advice, or emergency care if you believe you have come in contact with high amounts of arsenic.
How Does Arsenic Get Into Our Water Systems?
This toxin can enter your water supplies from a build up of deposits in the earth.
Arsenic also works its way into waterways and water systems through air quality pollution.
In the U.S. alone, there are manufacturers that regularly release high levels of arsenic into the environmen. This can result in a contaminated water table, as well as the air pollution, which is washed into the soil by natural rainfall.
When arsenic is present in the soil, it can make its way into your water delivery system via cracks or breakages in underground pipework you may not even be aware of.
Is well water safe from arsenic contamination?
If you obtain your household and drinking water from a private well, it’s quite possible that arsenic may contaminate the water you and your family rely on.
Arsenic can easily accumulate in private well systems, and so become a danger in your drinking water. The water finds its way to your well by passing over rocks and through soil that may containing unknown and uncontrolled levels of arsenic.
Sources of arsenic could be due to forest fires and volcanic action, and the resulting arsenic contamination then finds its way into the water table. As rainwater passes through the soil on its way to your well, it collects any waterborne contaminants and soluble minerals and chemicals that could include arsenic.
Poor methods of well construction, from years gone by, or obsolete chemical fertilizers, may also contribute towards arsenic in drinking water.
How can I check arsenic levels in our well?
If your household and drinking water comes from a private well, you would be well advised to have your well water tested on a regular basis, by a qualified professional, to protect yourself and your family from any unwelcome changes in your water quality.
What’s the best way to remove arsenic from drinking water?
There are a number of water filtration devices, which will effectively remove arsenic from your household water supply. Reverse Osmosis systems are available from major manufacturers of water filtration systems.
Reverse Osmosis is one of the methods by which you can effectively remove arsenic in drinking water from your private well source.
There are a number of different types of water filtration systems that will remove arsenic and other contaminants from your well water… see below for details…
Where has arsenic been found in water supplies?
Since arsenic is presentin both organic and inorganic forms, it can be found anywhere in the world. A number of countries actually have highly-contaminated drinking water due to arsenic levels including Chile, India, Argentina, China, Mexico and parts of the United States.
How can I protect myself from arsenic in drinking water?
The Environmental Protection agency (EPA) and the Clean Water Act are in place to help keep you safe when it comes to the many potential contaminants such as known bacterias, particulates and chemicals such as arsenic in drinking water.
However, government agencies and best intentions are not foolproof. Circumstances in your water supply can change quite quickly. There could be a flood, a chemical leak, or a sudden natural hazard, where the authorities are unable to contain the problem.
You can contact your water supplier or delivery service to obtain up-to-date results of domestic drinking water in your area.
If your home is supplied by well water, it is advisable to have it routinely tested on a frequent basis, to be sure it is safe to drink.
Is there anything else I can do to be safe?
● Drink bottle water if you believe there is arsenic in your water supply.
● Check your well for cracks or damages.
● Invest in a water purification system, such as the Reverse Osmosis type I mentioned earlier, ultra-filtration or a distillation system.
Arsenic can cause serious health issues and even death in it’s inorganic form. Be aware of what is in your water in order to keep you and your family safe from harmful contaminants. For further information you can always turn to th EPA or the World Health Organization.
These are top water filter experts, manufacturers, and suppliers that ship worldwide. You can contact them for specific advice on your situation:
You asked about – arsenic in drinking water – and we hope we have given you some useful information here.
We wish you the very best of health…
The Natural Health Concerns Team
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