What Is Arsenic and How Does It Affect Your Drinking Water?

Arsenic may be a natural element that comes from the Earth’s crust, but it can still negatively affect a person’s health if they consume it in drinking water. Unfortunately, human industrial and geological operations have caused arsenic to contaminate people’s drinking water at accelerated rates. If you consume water with arsenic in it, you run the risk of developing severe health issues, including cancer.

You will learn more about arsenic and the risks associated with it as you read this article. Then, you will learn about the best ways to remove arsenic from your drinking water.

Arsenic is a hazardous substance known to contaminate people’s drinking water. Even a small amount of arsenic consumption can cause severe health consequences.

It is not easy to detect arsenic in a water supply unless you put it through rigorous testing. The reason is that arsenic has no visibility, odor, or taste, which makes it virtually undetectable to human senses.

Government officials and water treatment companies must protect the public’s health by helping to identify arsenic sources and effective water purification methods for overcoming them. The faster arsenic can be identified, the easier it is to remove the contamination before it affects too many people’s health.

Arsenic can come in many different forms because of its metallic and non-metallic properties. You can find it in organic and inorganic compounds.

For instance, inorganic arsenic is usually found in soil and water. It is the most hazardous type of arsenic to human health. If it is not adequately managed, it can easily contaminate the public’s water supply and put people’s health at risk.

Arsenic is in much of the Earth’s crust due to natural processes like volcanic activity, rock weathering, and geothermal activity. Human activity, such as pesticide applications and mining, also play a part in this.

Arsenic from rocks and sediments can easily seep into nearby well water and groundwater supplies and cause contamination. The amount of arsenic in the water will vary depending on the geology in your location.

If there is too much arsenic in the rocks of your location, then you and the other residents in your area have a higher risk of developing health problems from consuming your local water supply.

You can develop short-term or long-term health problems from consuming arsenic, including acute symptoms and organ damage.

If you are exposed to high amounts of arsenic too quickly, you could develop acute arsenic poisoning within days or even hours.

The symptoms you may experience include the following:

It takes much longer for someone to develop chronic arsenic poisoning. You usually need to consume arsenic for years before experiencing symptoms.

These symptoms of arsenic poisoning include the following:

Prolonged arsenic consumption from contaminated drinking water can increase your risk of getting cancer. Studies have shown that arsenic has the potential to cause any of the following types of cancers:

Even consuming small amounts of arsenic in contaminated water can lead to a higher risk of cancer. That is why it is imperative to filter out as much arsenic from drinking water as possible.

It is possible for arsenic to exist in bottled water. Even though most bottled water companies follow FDA regulations by purifying their water, the purification method and water source play a significant role in how much arsenic is removed.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency allows no more than 10 micrograms per liter of arsenic in water.

Most bottled water companies source their water from natural reserves, such as springs and wells. Unfortunately, if these water sources exist in areas with arsenic-rich rocks and soil, they can become contaminated with high amounts of arsenic.

Reverse osmosis is the most effective water purification method for eliminating arsenic from drinking water. Yet, not all bottled water was put through the reverse osmosis purification method. So, you need to only limit your bottled water consumption to those that have been put through the reverse osmosis filtration process.

Several international rules exist to protect the safety of drinking water. Some of these rules are influenced by the health risks associated with arsenic.

The World Health Organization and Environmental Protection Agency consider arsenic at 10 parts per billion (ppb) to be dangerous. So, if you consume water with more than 10 ppb of arsenic, you will surely get sick from it.

The best way to lower the arsenic concentration levels in water is to filter it properly. Just follow the filtration guidelines set forth by the WHO and EPA. That means using the most effective water filtration methods, such as reverse osmosis.

No, you cannot remove arsenic by boiling contaminated water. Some studies suggest that boiling water even worsens the threat level because water evaporates while the arsenic concentration stays behind in the remaining water. Because of this, you are more likely to consume arsenic in your drinking water.

Yes, reverse osmosis (RO) is a very effective way to remove arsenic from water. It removes most substances from drinking water, including arsenic, chlorides, and nitrates.

According to the Water Quality Association , reverse osmosis can remove up to 95% of arsenic from your home’s drinking water. It uses multiple filters to remove contaminants, such as a sediment filter to remove big particles, an activated carbon filter to eliminate chlorine and pesticides, and a semi-permeable membrane to remove arsenic and other contaminants.

Reverse osmosis systems are highly efficient and easy to maintain. If you perform periodic maintenance on your reverse osmosis system, it should last for several years. Just make sure you purchase a system from a reputable brand like Waterdrop, especially since it has been NSFL International Certified for removing arsenic.

The Waterdrop X16 Reverse Osmosis System is the best and most effective water filter for removing arsenic from drinking water. It uses advanced filtration technology and mineral infusion to remove arsenic and purify water thoroughly.

Here is an overview of the benefits of Waterdrop X16 RO system:

The Waterdrop X16 reverse osmosis system can filter up to 1,600 gallons of water per day, which means it only takes two seconds to fill a cup with purified water.

The Waterdrop X Series uses an 11-stage water purification process to remove impurities, both big and microscopic. Its robust semi-permeable membrane can remove fluoride, chlorine, TDS, PFOS, lead, and PFOA from drinking water.

The Waterdrop system is SGS certified to ensure its filtration effectiveness. In addition, the built-in LED light enhances the safety and quality of the water by allowing it to be monitored in real time.

The Waterdrop X16 RO system does more than filter impurities from drinking water. It also adds alkaline minerals such as magnesium and calcium to your water.

Alkaline minerals can increase the pH levels of water. You’ll want your water to have pH levels of over 7.5 because it is the healthiest water for your body. It strengthens the bones, improves digestion, and tastes great.

The Waterdrop X Series remains environmentally friendly because of how much it protects critical water resources and supplies. Its reverse osmosis filters can stay strong for many years, perhaps even as long as two years or 24 months. Since you won’t need to replace the filters as frequently, it reduces waste in the environment.

You must frequently test your water to determine if it contains too much arsenic, especially if you use a private well for your water. Here are the ways to get started:

Home test kits are available to test your drinking water for arsenic. They are affordable, educational, and easy to use.

Make sure to read the instructions on your test kit. It will guide you through the process of determining whether your water has arsenic in it. If it does, you should hire a professional to run additional tests on you and your home’s drinking water.

Water contamination with arsenic is an ongoing problem. The best way to reduce your risk of consuming arsenic is to install a reverse osmosis system to reduce the amount of arsenic in the city. It also produces safer and better-quality drinking water.