{"id":119134,"date":"2024-02-12T12:34:36","date_gmt":"2024-02-12T17:34:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/?p=119134"},"modified":"2024-04-05T17:36:50","modified_gmt":"2024-04-05T21:36:50","slug":"high-arsenic-levels-in-water-supply-toxic-threat-unveiled","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/high-arsenic-levels-in-water-supply-toxic-threat-unveiled\/","title":{"rendered":"High Arsenic Levels in Water Supply, Toxic Threat Unveiled"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Brigitte Rodriguez, Publishing Associate: Researcher & Writer for Save The Water\u2122 | February <\/span>12,<\/span> 2024<\/span><\/p>\n

Arsenic is a chemical element present in <\/span>air, water, and land<\/span><\/a>. It\u2019s a <\/span>metalloid<\/span><\/a>, meaning it has properties of both metals and nonmetals. <\/span>Research<\/span><\/a> shows that about 220 million people are exposed to <\/span>high levels of arsenic<\/span><\/a>. This is a crucial public health and environmental issue since arsenic occurs naturally. The Environmental Protection Agency links <\/span>arsenic in drinking water<\/span><\/a> to diabetes, cancer, heart and lung illnesses, and skin problems.<\/span><\/p>\n

Arsenic Contamination in Drinking Water<\/span><\/h2>\n

One case that shows how serious arsenic contamination can be is its presence in southern New Mexico\u2019s tap water. A utility company in New Mexico failed to warn customers that the water it was providing contained large amounts of arsenic. The company is also being probed for <\/span>three arsenic treatment plants that weren\u2019t working for more than a year.<\/span><\/a> Those exposed to this contaminated water are worried, mostly because they don\u2019t know how arsenic impacts their health.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another example is <\/span>Bangladesh<\/span><\/a>, where arsenic<\/span> exceeds 10 micrograms per liter <\/span><\/a>in drinking water. Another scenario is <\/span>Midland, Texas<\/span><\/a>, which has unsafe arsenic levels of 0.011 milligrams per liter.\u00a0 Many such cases exist worldwide and should be taken more seriously to stop risks to people’s health.<\/span><\/p>\n

Arsenic Contamination in the Aquatic System<\/span><\/h2>\n

Arsenic contamination not only affects human health, but extends to the aquatic ecosystem in general.\u00a0 Both flora and fauna face serious threats when exposed to high levels of this metalloid. The presence of arsenic in water bodies affects biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and overall environmental quality. Moreover, bioaccumulation of arsenic in aquatic organisms impacts the food chain. Consequently, it is essential to understand the interactions between arsenic contamination and aquatic ecosystems.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fish is the<\/span> most sensitive bioindicator of pollution in<\/span> aquatic systems<\/span><\/a>. Research shows that arsenic affects the metabolism, <\/span>growth, reproduction, immune system, and enzyme activity<\/span><\/a> of fish. Understanding the impact of arsenic contamination on the aquatic environment is key to applying various removal technologies and methods.<\/span><\/p>\n

Technologies to Remove Arsenic<\/span><\/h2>\n

There are various <\/span>sustainable and effective methods<\/span><\/a> of removing arsenic from water:<\/span><\/p>\n