Arsenic, a naturally occurring chemical element, is currently used primarily in the production of pe

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Arsenic Facts

• Arsenic, a naturally occurring chemical element,
  is currently used primarily in the production of
  pesticides and wood preservatives. In some
  areas, levels of arsenic are increasing in ground
  water supplies because of seepage from hazardous
  waste sites. In the past, arsenic compounds were
  used for the treatment of certain diseases. This
  practice has been discontinued because of an
  awareness of arsenics negative effects and
  because of the development of safer drugs.
• Throughout the world, arsenic in ground water
  often comes from natural sources such as bedrock.
  The highest natural concentrations of arsenic in
  the United States are found in the Southwest, the
  Northwest, Alaska, and other areas near
  geothermal activity. Arsenical pesticide runoff
  also produces elevated arsenic levels in
  groundwater.
• Additional Facts
• Odorless, tasteless
• Naturally occurs in rocks, soil, water, air,
  plants and animals
• The average daily arsenic intake in adults is
  0.5-1.0mg.
• In 2001, the EPA revised the regulation for
  arsenic in drinking water to lower the maximum
  allowable level from 50 parts per billion (ppb)
  to 10 ppb. The new standard became effective on
  January 23, 2006. The EPA estimates that more
  than 90 of the systems affected by the revised
  rule are small, serving population of 3,330
  people or less.
• The EPA standards for arsenic in water is 10 ppb.
  Ten parts per billion (ppb) of arsenic in water
  means that there are 10 molecules of arsenic for
  every 999,999,990 molecules of water. That is
  roughly equivalent to a few drops of ink in an
  Olympic-sized swimming pool.
• The adverse properties of arsenic compounds, or
  arsenicals, have been known for more than 2000
  years.
• Ingested arsenic is quickly absorbed through the
  stomach and intestines. It then enters the blood
  stream
• Two types of arsenic poisoning acute and chronic
• Acute poisoning occurs when a person ingests
  large quantities of arsenic at one time.
  Symptoms include the irritation of the digestive
  tract, leading to pain, nausea, vomiting,
  diarrhea, or causing a pins and needles
  sensation in the feet and hands. Can lead to
  shock, coma, and/or death
• Chronic poisoning occurs over a longer period of
  time. Symptoms include non-cancerous skin
  lesions, tingling/numbness of the soles and palms
  that develops into a painful condition called
  neuritis (swelling that causes impairment or loss
  of reflexes)
• Chronic poisoning is believed to occur when a
  person has been exposed and accumulated gt150 ppb
  of arsenic. Twenty or thirty years after
  exposure to 500 ppb of arsenic, internal cancers
  (lung, kidney, liver and bladder) appear among
  10 of all exposed.
• Treatment is available and complete or partial
  recovery is possible within a couple of months.

Arsenic level below 10 parts per billion
(ppb)This water is safe to drink and use for
food preparation. Arsenic level between 10 parts
per billion (ppb) and 500 parts per billion
(ppb)Do not drink your water or use it to
prepare foods that require a lot of water (e.g.
infant formula, soups, Jell-O, rice, coffee, tea)
if the arsenic level is above 10 ppb.  Washing
foods and dishes in the water is safe, and is not
a significant source of exposure. Continued use
of water above 10 ppb puts an individual at risk
for developing chronic arsenic poisoning. Arsenic
level above 500 parts per billion (ppb) Stop
using your water for any use.  Do not use water
even for showering, bathing, or flushing toilets.
Exposure to gt500 ppb puts and individual at risk
for developing acute arsenic poisoning.