There can be a lot of heavy metals and impurities in water, and arsenic is one of the more hazardous ones. If you find out that your drinking water is contaminated with arsenic, you need to consider installing a water filtration system for removing it. Here is a guide on the causes of arsenic in water, its health risks, testing, and the methods you can use to get rid of it.

Arsenic In Tap Water

Arsenic is a metal found in groundwater. It can be present inside the Earth as a metalloid and it can penetrate into the ground if there is a lot of pesticide usage and things like that.

Anyway, arsenic can go into the groundwater through various means and it is easily dissolved in water, to the point where you can’t see, taste, or smell it. You won’t know that you’re drinking water with arsenic in it, until it’s too late and the damage has already been done.

Places that are near industries, mines, or chemical deposits can also be susceptible to arsenic poisoning. That is something a lot of people are unaware of and are drinking water with tons of arsenic in it, thereby leading their bodies and immune systems to danger.

Health Risks Of Arsenic In Water

Arsenic can have a lot of major health issues, some of which are described as follows:

• It can lead to nausea and loss of appetite
• It can cause severe skin issues in the long run
• It can cause organ failure, especially if you’re drinking it too much and without knowing what is in the water
• Kidney stones and failure are the norm when it comes to drinking water with arsenic in it
• Throat and ear issues can also be evident when you’re drinking water with a lot of arsenic in it

Testing Water For Arsenic In Water

Before diving into the methods of removing arsenic from water, you need to understand why it is tested and how you know water needs to be tested for arsenic poisoning.

Firstly, the acceptable levels of arsenic in water should be anywhere between 8-10 parts per billion. This means that in every billion parts of water, there should only be 8 to 10 parts of arsenic. This is the recognized level of arsenic and if it exceeds, then you need to get it removed right away, before things take a turn for the worse.

As far as testing for arsenic is concerned, there are a lot of arsenic testing kits out there that you can use to identify the levels of this metal in water.

These testing kits come with a table of instructions and a level which helps you to understand whether the arsenic level in your water is acceptable or not.

If you’re not convinced by these testing kits, then you can ask your local water supply company for a water report. You can also get specific with reports and ask only for arsenic levels, but if you’re getting a report after a long time, then it is best that you go for a full water report so that you can see everything as clear as day.

If that is also not something you can do, then you can get a sample of your tap water and take it to a water lab for testing by yourself. You can easily do that, and once you know the levels of arsenic in the drinking or tap water, you can go about the methods of removing it from said water for good.

How To Remove Arsenic From Tap Water?

Now, you want to know about the different ways by which you can quickly and effectively remove arsenic from tap water or well water. Here are some ways that work like a charm.

• Reverse Osmosis
• Adsorptive Media
• Filtration
• Distillation
• Ozonation
• Oxidation Filtration

Reverse Osmosis

Reverse osmosis is a process in which water is filtered by using a semi-permeable membrane. It is the type of process in which the water pressure works in reverse, hence the name. It’s because of the water pressure that the arsenic is pushed through the water and trapped in the semi-permeable membrane.

This is a really effective process for removing all kinds of impurities from the water, and arsenic is no exception. You can easily get it installed in your home and drink safe water.

Adsorptive Media

There’s absorption, and there is a process known as adsorption. Adsorptive filtration is a process in which a layer of substance or compound is latched onto another external element.

For removing arsenic, a medium is used as a bed so the metal gets pulled out of the water and latches onto said medium with the aid of electricity. The charge is passed through the water, and the ions with opposing charge, arsenic in this case, are going to travel to the medium and get deposited on it in a single and even layer.

Filtration

There are special filters available for removing arsenic from water. Filters work by removing the contaminants from tap water based on their micron size. The filters are categorized by micron sizes and for arsenic, you need to get special filters that will remove the heavy metal from the water.

You can fit the filter by the faucet where you usually take your water from and then you want to change the filters as you go, because if you don’t, then the water pressure will be compromised and you don’t want that. When it comes to filters, as long as you change them, they’re good to go for a long time to come.

Distillation

Distillation is a process in which impure water is boiled to nothing and then the vapors are captured and condensed, and then stored. The condensed water vapors will be the water you ultimately use. Distillation leads to almost 100% pure water, but the process is quite time-consuming.

It takes gallons upon gallons of water to produce just a bit of water that is safe for drinking, but you best believe that it is free from all sorts of contaminants and it is safe for drinking for anyone and everyone.

Ozonation

Ozone is the layer of gas that helps to protect the Earth from the harmful rays of the sun. Well, this very ozone can be injected into the water and can be used as a disinfectant to remove heavy metals like arsenic from water. Now, because ozone is not readily available like oxygen and nitrogen, it is made by using electricity, which is a tedious and expensive process.

However, the ozone produced is 100% pure and then it is injected into the water, from where it does its magic and gets rid of all of the heavy metals in no time.

Oxidation Filtration

Oxidation filtration is a process that involves the chemical oxidation of the arsenic in water, which causes the metal to form solid precipitates and then it is filtered out. This is an effective way of removing arsenic from water and it works amazingly in higher concentrations of arsenic, too. So, you can get clean and safe water without any problem.

Conclusion

Arsenic is bad for the human body and the worst thing is that you won’t even know that you’re drinking it until it’s too late. That’s why you should get your water tested regularly and install a whole house water filtration Warren system for contaminant-free drinking water.