The Danger of Arsenic in Drinking Water and How to Remove It
The reverse osmosis water filtration system effectively removes arsenic in the water.
Arsenic is abundant in nature, but why do we need to filter it out of tap water? What danger does it pose to our health? If dissolved arsenic is invisible, how are we supposed to remove it from our drinking water?
Arsenic: Get to know this poison
Arsenic is a semi-metal substance found in the soil and groundwater.
In metal form, arsenic is bright, silver-grey, and brittle.
In its organic form, it can be harmless and is usually present in seafood, such as prawns, shellfish, mussels, some seaweed, and fish.
When dissolved in water, arsenic is colorless, tasteless, and odorless.
Uses of Arsenic
Because it is untraceable in water, arsenic has been a popular choice for poison. Most rat poisons and insecticides contain arsenic.
Making special glasses, pressure-treated wood, cigarettes, bronzing, pyrotechnics, and hardening shots use arsenic compounds.
Organic arsenic is combined with poultry feed to protect the livestock from diseases and increase their weight.
Residents near commercial and industrial areas like mining where arsenic is used should be cautious of the tap water. There is a high possibility that arsenic could go into their water source.
How to detect arsenic in the body?
Arsenic sticks to human hair atoms once ingested. Thus, hair samples can detect if a person has been exposed to this substance.
There were high levels of arsenic in Napoleon Bonaparte’s hair samples taken from various stages in his life (from 1812 to 1826).
The results indicate that he had long-term exposure to arsenic, ruling out poisoning as the cause of his death.
The danger of arsenic exposure
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set the current safe level of arsenic in drinking water at 0.010 mg/L, or parts per million (ppm).
But drinking water with arsenic levels lower than this number can still increase the risk of cancer.
Immediate symptoms of arsenic poisoning or arsenicosis include:
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea
- Numbness
- Tingling of the extremities
- Muscle cramping
- Death in extreme cases
Arsenic can cause serious diseases, such as:
- Hyperkeratosis (increased thickness of the outer layer of the skin)
- Changes in skin pigmentation
- Cancer (skin, lungs, bladder)
- Diabetes
- Pulmonary disease
- Cardiovascular disease
Arsenic can cross the placenta. Therefore, pregnant women should be careful as it can lead to impaired fetal growth, abortion, stillbirth, and infant death.
Irrigation water used in growing rice can be absorbed and accumulate in the plant.
So it is not a surprise that traces of arsenic are found in some baby rice cereals.
High levels of arsenic can cause impairment in the cognitive development, intelligence, and memory of children.
Arsenic can cause multiple cancers and early mortality in young adults.
Remove Arsenic with Reverse Osmosis (RO) Water Filter
Fortunately, water filters can help remove toxic substances like arsenic from drinking water and make it safer.
A reverse osmosis filtration system uses pressure to push the water through a membrane that acts as a barrier between the water and the contaminants.
It has multiple stages, with each step working hard to remove water impurities.
If well water is your water source or you live near industries that use arsenic, it’s best to opt for an RO system with the highest number of stages.
The Crystal Quest Reverse Osmosis Under Sink Water Filter has 17 stages of filtration, which is ideal for highly contaminated water.
How Does a Reverse Osmosis Filter Work?
The RO process starts by using pressure to pump the contaminated water through a filter.
The built-in membrane of the filter then removes the remaining contaminants, leaving you with clean tap water safe enough to drink.
Reverse osmosis can effectively eliminate 95% of arsenic in the water, making it the top choice for removing this deadly poison.
Final Words
Knowing its toxic effects and danger to your health, you should never take the presence of arsenic in your water lightly. There are other cheap ways to remove arsenic. Precipitation, ion exchange, and adding lime or coagulant can help. But using a water filter, particularly the reverse osmosis water filtration system, is the most efficient and affordable way to remove arsenic in drinking water.