Title: 
Headings: ARSENIC IN WELL WATER
ARSENIC
 
IN
 
WELL
 
WATER
 

Guidance
 

Introduction
 

How
 
do
 
I
 
have
 
my
 
well
 
water
 
tested
 
for
 
arsenic?
 

Arsenic
 
Exposure
 

Health
 
Risk
 
Factors
 

Human
 
Health
 
Effects
 
of
 
Arsenic
 
Exposure
 

Interpreting
 
Water
 
Sample
 
Results
 

What
 
to
 
do
 
if
 
you
 
have
 
Arsenic
 
in
 
your
 
Drinking
 
Water
 

Additional
 
Resources
 


Content: contact
 
with
 
water
 
(showering,
 
laundering,
 
washing
 
dishes,
 
etc.) is
 
not
 
a
 
risk. Health
 
Risk
 
Factors
 
If
 
you
 
have
 
been
 
exposed
 
to
 
arsenic,
 
several
 
factors
 
will
 
determine
 
your
 
health
 
risk. These
 
factors
 
are: Dose
 
–
 
The
 
amount
 
of
 
arsenic
 
in
 
your
 
body


Duration
 
–
 
How
 
long
 
and
 
how
 
often
 
your
 
body
 
has
 
been
 
exposed
 
to
 
arsenic


Type
 
of
 
arsenic
 
–
 
Whether
 
your
 
body
 
has
 
been
 
exposed
 
to
 
inorganic
 
or
 
organic
 
arsenic


General
 
health,
 
age,
 
lifestyle,
 
and
 
diet
 
–
 
Some
 
people
 
may
 
be
 
affected
 
by
 
lower
 
levels
 
of
 
arsenic
 
while
 
others
 
remain
 
unaffected
 
at
 
the
 
same
 
levels. Young
 
children,
 
the
 
elderly,
 
people
 
with
 
long-term
 
illnesses,
 
and
 
unborn
 
babies
 
are
 
at
 
greater
 
risk,
 
as
 
they
 
can
 
be
 
more
 
sensitive
 
to
 
exposure. 800-662-9278
www.Michigan.gov/EGLE
 
07/2019
 
ARSENIC
 
IN
 
WELL
 
WATER
 
–
 
GUIDANCE
 
Human
 
Health
 
Effects
 
of
 
Arsenic
 
Exposure
 
The
 
way
 
arsenic
 
affects
 
our
 
bodies
 
is
 
not
 
fully
 
understood. Long-term
 
exposure
 
to
 
low
 
levels
 
of
 
inorganic
 
arsenic
 
in
 
drinking
 
water
 
is
 
known
 
to
 
cause
 
human
 
health
 
problems
 
including: cancer,
 
thickening
 
and
 
discoloration
 
of
 
the
 
skin,
 
problems
 
with
 
blood
 
vessels,
 
high
 
blood
 
pressure,
 
heart
 
disease,
 
nerve
 
effects
 
including
 
numbness
 
and/or
 
pain,
 
and
 
interference
 
with
 
some
 
important
 
cell
 
functions. Short-term
  
exposure
  
to
  
very
  
high
  
levels
  
of
  
arsenic
  
may
  
cause
  
stomach
  
pain,
  
nausea,
  
vomiting,
  
diarrhea,
  
headaches,
 
weakness,
 
and
  
even
  
death;