Arsenic (As) is naturally occurring element of the earth crust, which is widely distributed in the environment. Not a lot of people know that it is the most dangerous element that could be found in groundwater. In volcanic regions and in the occurrence of arsenic ores, the soil may contain a lot of arsenic, on this territory flora and fauna are affected. In humid climates some compounds of arsenic easily reach nearby ponds through grounds water, because of its high solubility in H20. Also, arsenic can get into the groundwater by contact with hazardous waste. In production As is used as a wood preservative, in special kinds of glass, in dyes, metals, drugs and paints. So as its usage is quite spread, incorrect utilization of waste from the factories could be a reason of water pollution. So the sources of infection could be: the drinking water (taken from the well), the food crops, for which the infected water was used as irrigation, and also food, prepared using polluted liquids. The big problem is that it’s impossible to realize that you are drinking water contains an elevated concentration of arsenic, because contaminated water does not acquire any particular flavor, odor or color. This environmental problem should be named “natural disaster”, as the amount of drinking water is increasing every day, it causes the decreasing of the groundwater level and Soil erosion, because of that amount of As in waters goes up. Have a glance at the countries, which are affected by Arsenic, it’s clearly shown on the picture below. Fortunately, there is one way to interpret the level of arsenic in your well water; you could test it in the commercial laboratory, not the easiest way, but it works. However, the symptoms of regular poisoning of water containing arsenic could be: frequent stomachaches, nausea, diarrhea, decreased insulin and the development of diabetes. If such symptoms were noticed among your family, it’s highly recommended to check the water for arsenic. If elevated level of this dangerous component were found in your well water, for you it is better to substitute it to bottle one. But this (well) water still could be used for bathing and washing clothes, without concerns. Luckily it is not a desperate situation, several ways for removing the arsenic from water are widely used by companies, and they lead to harmless concentrations of this dangerous element. To sum up, I recommend you to pay more attention to water, which you use, "be careful" = "be healthy"! |
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May 2019
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