What Is It?
Arsenic is a tasteless, odor-less semi-metal that occurs naturally in rocks, soil, plants, animals, air, and water. It is most commonly found in ground water supplies, and is also released into the environment via volcanic action, forest fires, land erosion, human actions, etc. Farming and industry practices like smelting, mining, and coal burning further contribute to arsenic in the environment.
Is It Harmful?
From the U.S. EPA website:
Arsenic exposure can cause numerous detrimental health effects, including thickening and discoloration of the skin, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, numbness in hands and feet, partial paralysis, and blindness. Arsenic has also been linked to cancer of the bladder, lungs, skin, kidney, nasal passages, liver, and prostate.
What is the Maximum Contaminant Level?
EPA has set the arsenic standard for drinking water at .010 parts per million (10 parts per billion) to protect consumers served by public water systems from the effects of long-term, chronic exposure to arsenic.
How Can I Test for It?
You can test for arsenic at home with our arsenic test kits, or use our Well Pro test kits, which include a prepaid sample mailer, to get precise results from our laboratory.
How Can I Treat It?
Distillers can reliably treat drinking water high in arsenic, as can reverse osmosis systems, though these work better when the water has been pre-chlorinated or ozonated.
We also offer AdEdge DWS-2S point-of-use arsenic-specific filter systems that can be easily installed under the kitchen sink for point-of-use water filtration.