Understanding Arsenic Standards for Drinking Water
- Published:
- Updated: January 2, 2025
Summary
Gain insights into the crucial topic of arsenic standards for drinking water:
- Arsenic Basics: Learn about arsenic’s natural occurrence and its health risks when present in drinking water.
- Health Effects: Discover the short and long-term health impacts of arsenic exposure, including its carcinogenic potential.
- Current Standards: Understand the arsenic guidelines set by regulatory bodies like WHO and EPA, aimed at protecting public health.
Learn about the nexus of arsenic standards in drinking water, where laws and regulations matter most for public health protection. Natural arsenic, which is an element in water, is dangerous to your health when ingested. We can read about the regulatory guidelines, learn about the health effects of arsenic, and learn how to make good decisions about our water’s safety and how to guard our health.
What is Arsenic?
Arsenic occurs naturally in the crust of the Earth mostly in mineral deposits and rocks. But it doesn’t reside only in these rocks. The effects of human activities, from mining to agriculture, could see the arsenic released into the atmosphere and get into our drinking water. This is especially true in drinking water because arsenic can leach into groundwater, from which most of our drinking water comes.
Although arsenic doesn’t taste or smell, if you consume water it can be dangerous. These invisible features are even more reason to be aware of arsenic standards for drinking water and make sure our water supplies meet them.
The Health Effects of Arsenic in Drinking Water
Drinking water containing arsenic causes a whole host of ailments. The most common reaction to drinking water that is very arsenic consists of nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea in the short term. Exposure for long-term use, however, leads to more extreme diseases.
Exposure to arsenic over a prolonged period was associated with cardiovascular, pulmonary and neurological disease. Even the skin can be affected, with changes in pigmentation and swelling. These health hazards are why our drinking water should be tested to the specified levels of arsenic.
Arsenic and Carcinogenic Risk
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) says that arsenic is a Group 1 carcinogen – which means that it can cause cancer in people. The label follows a large body of evidence relating long-term arsenic exposure to a higher risk of a number of cancers.
Specifically, drinking water that contains too much arsenic was linked to increased risk of skin, bladder and lung cancer. And, of course, we are now hearing that it could have something to do with other cancers — kidney and liver. This cancer-causing threat illustrates why public health should have extremely high arsenic levels in drinking water.
Current Arsenic Standards
Establishing standards for drinking water arsenic is the key to regulating its health risks. These norms vary from one country to the next, but for the most part they are set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The WHO guidelines indicate 10 micrograms of arsenic per litre (g/L) of arsenic in water. In the United States, EPA sets the same level as the MCL for arsenic. That means water providers must keep their water under this level of arsenic to protect the health of customers.
How are Arsenic Levels Tested?
Water samples are sucked up and measured, often with advanced methods like atomic absorption spectrometry or inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.
And don’t forget that some areas have mandated testing of arsenic levels in municipal water supply systems. These rules are essential to early detection of high arsenic levels so that health hazards can be addressed at an early stage.
How is Arsenic Removed from Drinking Water?
Arsenic removal from water There are a few ways to eliminate arsenic. Popular methods are reverse osmosis, ion exchange and adsorption filters.
Reverse Osmosis: Reverse osmosis, removing arsenic and other contaminants through semi-permeable membrane.
Ion Exchange: Replacement of arsenic ions in the water with less poisonous ions, for example sodium or potassium.
Adsorption Filters: These filter water with activated alumina or similar media to capture arsenic.
Each has its pros and cons, so it’s a personal decision that depends on the circumstances, including water arsenic level and water quality requirements.
Steps Consumers Can Take
Arsenic standards are not the province of water regulators. And we can take action as consumers to make sure our tap water reaches these standards. What you can do: These are some steps:
Drinking Water: Have your drinking water tested if you are a private well-owner, as private wells are not normally monitored for arsenic.
Filters with Arsenic Certificates: Use an arsenic certified water filter if your water has arsenic in it. : Not all water filters will filter arsenic, so read the labels carefully.
Keep Up to Date: Keep up to date with your local water company and health department on any arsenic in your water.
The Debate around Current Standards
Even if drinking water has arsenic standards, the question remains and is under study if they are strict enough. Others say even very low arsenic exposure is health-threatening over time, so even weaker standards than are currently required.
If the latter is true, tougher rules can be difficult to implement, particularly for small water providers. Costs for better treatments might be substantial and they might have to be borne by consumers. The balancing act between public health and budget is a central part of this conversation.
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