Arsenic in Drinking Water
Studies link inorganic arsenic ingestion to a number of health effects.Ingestion of arsenic in drinking water is most likely to lead to chronic effects, principally different types of skin lesions
Lesion caused by arsenic contaminated drinking water
Arsenic Lesion
These health effects of Arsenic in water include:
• Cancerous Effects: skin, bladder, lung, kidney, nasal passages, liver and prostate
cancer; and
• Non-cancerous effects: cardiovascular, pulmonary, immunological, neurological and
endocrine (e.g., diabetes) effects.
Once absorbed, arsenic is not readily lost and accumulates in the body. Therefore a single, once-off exposure to a high concentration of arsenic can have serious effects.
What are the sources of arsenic contamination in water?
The contamination of a drinking water source by arsenic can result from either natural or human activities. Arsenic is an element that occurs naturally in rocks and soil, water, air, plants, and animals.
Volcanic activity, the erosion of rocks and minerals, and forest fires are natural sources that can release arsenic into the environment. Although about 90 percent of the arsenic used by industry is currently used for wood preservative purposes, arsenic is also used in paints, drugs, dyes, soaps, metals and semi-conductors.
Arsenic is most effectively removed from water in its pentavalent form. Trivalent arsenic is first converted to the pentavalent form using an appropriate oxidising agent such as chlorine or potassium permanganate.
Pentavalent arsenic is effectively removed from water using conventional coagulation and flocculation processes followed by settlement and filtration. Suitable coagulants include aluminium sulphate, ferric salts and lime.
depending on the vloume of water to be filtered in the home the owner should look at either reverse osmosis with pre-filtration geared to removal of arsenic or if volumes are larger pre-dosing via a tank with lime or or chlrine or ozonation treatment prior to sedminent and activated carbon removal