952-479-4553Arsenic is an odorless, tasteless semi-metal element that is abundant in the Earth’s crust and atmosphere. About one-third of the Arsenic in drinking water comes from the erosion of deposits in the earth, while the rest was added through agricultural and industrial runoff and emissions. The Minnesota Department of Health has estimated 15% of private wells exceed the legal limit of Arsenic.
Different Types of Arsenic
In Minnesota, Arsenic generally occurs in two forms: trivalent arsenic (As+3, or arsenite) or pentavalent arsenic (As+5, or arsenate). Although both forms are harmful to human health, trivalent arsenic is more harmful and more difficult to remove from water.
Health Effects of Arsenic
The short term effects of Arsenic exposure may include stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Long term exposure to Arsenic is quite severe. Partial paralysis, numbness in hands and feet, blindness, thickening and discoloration of the skin are all very common.
Arsenic attacks the body’s cells and can lead to cancer of the bladder, lungs, skin, kidneys, nasal passages, liver and prostate.
How is Arsenic Regulated?
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has two different guidelines for Arsenic in drinking water:
10ppb (parts per billion). This is the maximum contaminant level (MCL), or the enforceable MCL for both organic and inorganic forms.
0ppb (parts per billion). This is the EPA maximum contaminant level goal (MCLG) that has been shown to have zero long term health effects.
How is Arsenic Treated or Removed?
Your first step should involve having a Qualified Premier Water Technician perform a FREE WATER TEST to determine the overall quality of your water. During this analyis, a sample can be collected and sent to a State Certified Lab to accurately measure the Arsenic levels in your water.
Reverse Osmosis systems using a certified TFC membrane have been shown to effectively remove AS5.
The Pureoflow would be a good whole-house treatment alternative to an under sink system. If AS3 is present, additional filtration is required.
New, specialty filter medias have become available to treat both AS3 and AS5. While these medias are efficient at removing Arsenic, care must be taken to ensure they are not damaged by other elements in the water like iron, tannins, or hydrogen sulfide.
AS3 can be converted into AS5 in the presence of an effective oxidant such as free chlorine.
Iron Filtration Systems that use a Constant Chlorine Feed can effectively reduce Arsenic throughout the entire home.
