Title: 
Headings: Arsenic and drinking water
Arsenic
 
and
 
drinking
 
water
 

What
 
is
 
arsenic
 
and
 
where
 
does
 
it
 
come
 
from?
 

How
 
can
 
arsenic
 
affect
 
my
 
health?
 

When
 
does
 
arsenic
 
in
 
drinking
 
water
 
become
 
a
 
health
 
concern?
 

What
 
can
 
I
 
use
 
my
 
water
 
for
 
if
 
it
 
is
 
contaminated
 
with
 
arsenic?
 

Can
 
I
 
wash
 
my
 
food
 
with
 
arsenic-contaminated
 
water?
 

Can
 
I
 
irrigate
 
or
 
water
 
my
 
garden
 
with
 
arsenic-contaminated
 
water?
 

What
 
about
 
bathing
 
and
 
showering?
 

What
 
about
 
washing
 
dishes,
 
utensils,
 
and
 
food
 
preparation
 
areas?
 

What
 
about
 
general
 
cleaning
 
and
 
laundry?
 

What
 
about
 
my
 
pets?
 

Learning
 
about
 
arsenic
 
levels
 
in
 
your
 
drinking
 
water
 

For
 
people
 
on
 
public
 
water
 
systems:
 

For
 
private
 
well
 
owners:
 

Removing
 
arsenic
 
from
 
drinking
 
water
 

For
 
public
 
drinking
 
water
 
system
 
operators:
 

Private
 
well
 
treatment
 
options:
 

Institute
 
(ANSI)
 
and
 
the
 
National
 
Sanitation
 
Foundation
 
(NSF)
 
International.
 
Proof
 
of
 
certification
 

For
 
more
 
information:
 

Guidance
 
for
 
use
 
of
 
water
 
contaminated
 
with
 
arsenic
 


Content: Drinking
 
water
 
with
 
high
 
levels
 
of
 
arsenic
 
can
 
cause
 
health
 
effects
 
such
 
as: Thickening
 
and
 
discoloration
 
of
 
the
 
skin
 


 
Stomach
 
pain,
 
nausea,
 
vomiting
 
and
 
diarrhea
 


 
Heart,
 
lung,
 
liver,
 
immune,
 
nervous,
 
or
 
reproductive
 
system
 
disorders
 
and
 
diabetes
 


 
Cancer
 
of
 
the
 
bladder,
 
lungs,
 
skin,
 
kidney,
 
liver,
 
and
 
prostate
 

Children
 
are
 
more
 
susceptible
 
to
 
high
 
levels
 
of
 
arsenic
 
in
 
drinking
 
water
 
because
 
they
 
drink
 
more
 
water
 
per
 
body
 
weight
 
than
 
adults
 
and
 
because
 
they
 
are
 
passing
 
through
 
important
 
developmental
 
stages,
 
especially
 
brain
 
development. When
 
does
 
arsenic
 
in
 
drinking
 
water
 
become
 
a
 
health
 
concern? Arsenic
 
is
 
measured
 
in
 
parts
 
per
 
billion
 
(ppb). The
 
federal
 
government
 
has
 
established
 
the
 
safe
 
drinking
 
water
 
standard
 
(also
 
called
 
maximum
 
contaminant
 
level)
 
for
 
arsenic
 
as
 
10
 
ppb*. If
 
your
 
water
 
has
 
arsenic
 
levels
 
above
 
35
 
ppb
 
(0.035
 
ppm),
 
young
 
children,
 
especially
 
infants,
 
should
 
stop
 
drinking
 
it
 
immediately,
 
because
 
this
 
level
 
has
 
been
 
associated
 
with
 
health
 
effects
 
in
 
children
 
after
 
very
 
short-term
 
exposures
 
(2
 
weeks
 
or
 
less). Short-term
 
exposure
 
to
 
drinking
 
water
 
with
 
arsenic
 
levels
 
above
 
130
 
ppb
 
(0.130
 
ppm)
 
has
 
been
 
associated
 
with
 
health
 
effects
 
in
 
adults. *Arsenic
 
can
 
also
 
be
 
measured
 
in
 
parts
 
per
 
million
 
(ppm)
 
or
 
mg/L.
 
For
 
example,
 
10
 
ppb
 
is
 
the
 
same
 
as
 
0.010
 
ppm
 
or
 
0.010
 
mg/L.
 
What
 
can
 
I
 
use
 
my
 
water
 
for
 
if
 
it
 
is
 
contaminated
 
with
 
arsenic? While
 
arsenic
 
in
 
water
 
above
 
the
 
drinking
 
water
 
standard
 
may
 
not
 
present
 
an
 
immediate
 
health
 
hazard,
 
you
 
should
 
consider
 
obtaining
 
your
 
water
 
for
 
drinking,
 
beverage-making,
 
or
 
food
 
preparation
 
from
 
a
 
known
 
safe
 
source
 
for
 
use
 
on
 
a
 
temporary
 
basis. A
 
short-term
 
alternate
 
water
 
source
 
should
 
be
 
provided
 
to
 
anyone
 
whose
 
tap
 
water
 
exceeds
 
130
 
ppb
 
(0.130
 
ppm).