Arsenic in your drinking water can harm your health

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(No Transcript)
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• Arsenic in your drinking water can harm your
  health 

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• Public water is regulated according to government
  standards
• Current EPA Standard
• 10 parts per billion

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• Private water must be regulated by the user
• Private water supplies include
• Wells
• Springs
• Cisterns

http//www.dayton-knight.com
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Which are more at risk for arsenicpublic or
private water supplies?

• ?PRIVATE SUPPLIES
• Users should
• routinely test their water
• protect and maintain the wellhead

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ARSENIC OCCURENCE

• INORGANIC arsenic (in rock formations, etc.) is
  more dangerous than ORGANIC arsenic (plants and
  animals)
• Underground rock formations can release
  inorganic arsenic into water supplies

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ARSENIC OCCURENCE

• When dissolved in water, arsenic is
• tasteless
• colorless
• odorless

http//www.battelle.org/Environment/publications/
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ARSENIC OCCURENCE

• Agricultural sources
• Former cotton-growing areas and former fruit
  orchards may have traces of arsenic-containing
  pesticides.

http//www.tempe.gov/museum/h-cotton.htm
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ARSENIC OCCURENCE

• Properly seal and store all herbicides and
  pesticides away from wells and all drinking water
  sources.

http//entweb.clemson.edu
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ARSENIC OCCURENCE

• Commercial Sources
• Pressure-treated lumber (treated with Chromated
  Copper ArsenateCCA)
• banned in residential construction in 2003 (visit
  www.epa.gov for more info)

http//www.homedecks.com/images/pressure_treated.j
pg
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THE HEALTH CONCERNS OF ARSENIC EXPOSURE

• Acute-arsenic poisoning can occur at high levels
  (over 60 micrograms/liter).

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THE HEALTH CONCERNS OF ARSENIC EXPOSURE

• Chronic exposure may lead to
• an abnormal heartbeat
• a decrease in red and white blood cells
• gastrointestinal irritation
• skin diseases
• circulatory problems
• Other possible health problems
• cancer, cardiovascular disease

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SHOULD I HAVE MY WATER TESTED FOR ARSENIC?

• ?If you use a private water supply, YES
• Test specifically for arsenic
• How often?
• Yearly testing for arsenic should not be
  necessary if initial levels are acceptable.

http//infocusmagazine.org/1.2/in_depth.html
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SHOULD I HAVE MY WATER TESTED FOR OTHER
CONTAMINANTS?

• ? YES, on a yearly basis.
• For more information, read the publication
  Testing for Water Quality, available at
  www.fcs.uga.edu/housing/water.

http//www.bigbrandwaterfilters.com/watertest.html
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HOW CAN I TREAT MY WATER FOR ARSENIC?

• Two Kinds of treatment
• 1. Point-of-entry
• 2. Point-of-use

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HOW CAN I TREAT MY WATER FOR ARSENIC?

• Oxidation
• Activated alumina
• Iron oxide coated sand and ion exchange
  processes
• Reverse Osmosis
• Distillation

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Distillation
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Reverse osmosis systems
http//reverse-osmosis-system.electronic.com.tw/
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HOW CAN I TREAT MY WATER FOR ARSENIC?
Point-of-use filtration system
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END OF PRESENTATION