Arsenic
Arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant found in many areas of the world. It is the 20th most abundant element in the earth’s crust and is the 12th most abundant element in the human body. Tasteless and odorless, arsenic is widely used as a wood preservative and a poison for killing weeds, rats and insects. It is toxic to humans in low concentrations.
After years of research, the United States government decided to lower the arsenic limit (the maximum concentration permitted in drinking water) from 50 parts per billion to 10 parts per billion. In fact, levels above 5 parts per billion in either form are now considered by many to be a health risk.
Treating Arsenic
Arsenic can exist as two different forms in water: trivalent arsenic, otherwise known as Arsenic 3, and pentavalent arsenic, also known as Arsenic 5. Both forms can be removed with available treatment methods. |
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The chlorine added by most public water supplies will convert Arsenic 3 to Arsenic 5, which can be removed by a system such as Kinetico’s Drinking Water System Plus Deluxe or Purefecta Water Purifier. Non-chlorinated supplies, such as private wells or some public ground water supplies, require additional filtration using an extra cartridge for drinking water, since the arsenic may be in different forms.
Another option is the whole-house Arsenic Guard™ system, which removes arsenic from a home’s entire water supply, rather than just from the drinking water.
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