Arsenic In Your Water

Frequently used for strengthening lead and copper, arsenic is often used as a component in car batteries and electronics. Arsenic can also be found in treated wood products, herbicides, and insecticides. While arsenic can accumulate in water through erosion, it is more commonly the result of industrial or agricultural runoff.

One of the more dangerous water contaminants, arsenic can be toxic even in small levels over the long term. According to the EPA, prolonged arsenic exposure has been known to cause or increase certain types of cancer, nervous system damage, skin conditions, and other health concerns.

Arsenic in drinking water has no taste, color or smell, so exposure is not something a household notices directly. Short-term exposure to high levels can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Long-term exposure at lower levels is the greater concern, and is associated with skin changes such as thickening or discoloration, numbness or tingling in the hands and feet, cardiovascular disease, and an increased risk of several cancers including bladder, lung and skin cancer. Because none of these are specific to arsenic, testing the water is the only reliable way to establish whether it is the cause.

The EPA’s enforceable limit for arsenic in drinking water is 10 parts per billion.

Historically, the EPA has identified a large amount of unreported, undocumented cases of arsenic in water across the United States. As a result, federal law now requires that utilities report on all contaminants present in drinking water supplies.

The most effective way to treat arsenic contaminated water is through a specialty filter customized to a whole home water filter, so that any accompanying contaminants, like fluoride or TDS, can be effectively removed along with the arsenic. Culligan offers a variety of products with layers of media filtration specifically designed to treat and reduce arsenic in water.