We confirm the ability of the ZeroWater® filter to reduce the arsenic concentration by 99%, and observed that the Brita filter reduced the arsenic concentration by 22.6% and 28.6% when the influent arsenic concentration is 10 μg/L and 100 μg/L, respectively.
Arsenic can enter the water supply from natural deposits in the earth or from industrial and agricultural pollution. It is widely believed that naturally occurring arsenic dissolves out of certain rock formations when ground water levels drop significantly.
Symptoms of arsenic poisoning
- red or swollen skin.
- skin changes, such as new warts or lesions.
- abdominal pain.
- nausea and vomiting.
- diarrhea.
- abnormal heart rhythm.
- muscle cramps.
- tingling of fingers and toes.
After methylation arsenic can be rapidly eliminated from the body with the urine. There can be large differences between individual humans in their capacity for methylation that is most likely due to differences in enzyme capacity in the body.
The highest levels of arsenic (in all forms) in foods can be found in seafood, rice, rice cereal (and other rice products), mushrooms, and poultry, although many other foods, including some fruit juices, can also contain arsenic.
You can remove arsenic from your water by using a water cooler with reverse osmosis built-in, a process that forces water through a semi-permeable membrane under pressure that will leave contaminants behind and dispense more pure and healthy drinking water.
What are the health effects of arsenic exposure? Short to medium term exposure to very high levels of arsenic in drinking water over days or weeks can lead to arsenic poisoning. Exposure to high levels of arsenic may cause stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea and impaired nerve function.
CR also tested samples of Starkey Spring Water in 2019, finding levels of arsenic that approached or exceeded the federal limit: three samples ranged from 9.48 to 9.86 PPB of arsenic; a fourth registered 10.1 PPB. Those results are cited in two pending consumer lawsuits over Starkey's arsenic content.
Prolonged ingestion of arsenic-containing drinking water is associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer and skin cancer, and medical exposure to arsenic has been clearly associated with skin cancer in epidemiological studies.
The total concentration of arsenic in drinking water can be detected by simple Gutzeit method, and some similar colorimetric methods of comparing stains produced on treated paper strips.
Arsenic is also contained in traditional Chinese medicine formulas and used for psoriasis; syphilis; asthma; joint pain (rheumatism); hemorrhoids; cough; itchiness; cancer; to reduce swelling (as an anti-inflammatory agent); and as a general tonic and pain-killer.
Acute poisoning. Most cases of acute arsenic poisoning occur from accidental ingestion of insecticides or pesticides and less commonly from attempted suicide. Small amounts (<5 mg) result in vomiting and diarrhoea but resolve in 12 hours and treatment is reported not to be necessary.
Most of the inorganic arsenic will be gone within several days, although some will remain in your body for several months or even longer. If you are exposed to organic arsenic, most of it will leave your body within several days. You can find more information on how arsenic enters and leaves your body in Chapter 3.
Arsenic makes up part of the Earth's crust and is commonly found in groundwater. In 2001, the Environmental Protection Agency lowered the drinking-water standard from 50 parts per billion of arsenic to 10 parts per billion.
