Arsenic in Drinking Water: Health Risks and Global Impacts

Introduction: Arsenic as a Global Health Concern

In recent years, the topic of health as it relates to environmental awareness has emerged as a significant concern for global leaders, government officials, and ordinary families. Arsenic, a ubiquitous element found in the atmosphere, soils, rocks, natural waters, and living organisms, is one of the leading environmental health issues of our time. Most environmental arsenic problems result from mobilization under natural conditions, but human activity has also contributed to arsenic release through mining, combustion of fossil fuels, the use of herbicides, and the addition of arsenic as an additive to livestock feed. Of the various sources of arsenic in the environment, drinking water is estimated to pose the greatest threat to human health.

Since drinking water is derived from a wide variety of sources, arsenic levels vary depending on the origin of the water. Arsenic is odorless and tasteless, and it enters drinking water supplies from natural deposits in the earth or from industrial and agricultural practices. Higher levels of arsenic tend to be found in groundwater sources than in surface water sources such as lakes and rivers. The demand placed on groundwater by municipal systems and private drinking water wells can cause water levels to drop and release arsenic from rock formations.

All of these various pathways by which arsenic enters the drinking water supply raise important health concerns. Some of these concerns include thickening and discoloration of the skin, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, numbness in the hands and feet, partial paralysis, and blindness. Furthermore, arsenic has been linked to cancer of the bladder, lungs, skin, kidneys, nasal passages, liver, and prostate. This paper analyzes the issue of arsenic in drinking water, discusses different points of view regarding this problem, and raises concerns about contradicting research. It also examines research limitations and existing developments before concluding with recommendations for addressing this global crisis.

Arsenic in Drinking Water as a Topic of Interest

As noted above, arsenic in drinking water is a significant topic of interest because of the serious health implications involved and the ease with which it can enter drinking water supplies. Human exposure to arsenic can cause both short-term and long-term health effects. Acute effects can occur within hours or days of exposure, while chronic effects develop over many years. Short-term exposure to very high levels of arsenic can cause serious adverse health problems; however, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that such effects are unlikely to occur from U.S. water supplies that are in compliance with the arsenic standard.

The original standard was set by the EPA in 1975, but a 1999 report by the National Academy of Sciences concluded that the standard did not achieve the EPA's goal of protecting public health and should be lowered as soon as possible. That standard was later revised under the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996, and the final rule set the standard at a level that maximizes health risk reduction benefits at a cost justified by those benefits.

The new standard applies in the U.S. to all 54,000 community water systems — defined as systems that serve 15 or more locations or 25 or more residents year-round — including most cities and towns, apartment complexes, and mobile home parks with their own water supplies. EPA estimates indicate that roughly five percent, or approximately 3,000, of community water systems serving 11 million people have taken corrective action to lower arsenic levels in their drinking water. The new standard also applies to approximately 20,000 water systems that serve at least 25 of the same people more than six months of the year, such as schools, churches, nursing homes, and factories.

In the U.S., the average increase in household water costs to meet the new arsenic standards depends on the size of the water system and the number of people served. For small community water systems serving fewer than 10,000 people, the cost increase is expected to range between $38 and $327. Financial assistance is available through the EPA's drinking water state revolving fund, which has funded over 1,000 loans for projects around the country. However, the real concern regarding arsenic in drinking water does not lie primarily in the U.S., where, as illustrated above, the problem is more readily addressed.

References

Commission on Life Sciences. (1999). Arsenic in Drinking Water. National Academy Press.

Howard, G. (2003). Arsenic, drinking water and health risk substitution in arsenic mitigation: A discussion paper. World Health Organization. Retrieved December 13, 2006, from

Smedley, P., & Kinniburgh, D. Source and behavior of arsenic in natural waters. British Geological Survey, Wallingford, Oxon OX10 8BB, U.K.

Subcommittee on Arsenic in Drinking Water, National Research Council. (1999). Arsenic in Drinking Water. National Academy Press.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2006). Arsenic in drinking water. Retrieved December 13, 2006, from

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2006). Arsenic in drinking water. Retrieved December 13, 2006, from

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2006). Arsenic in drinking water. Retrieved December 13, 2006, from

World Health Organization. (2006). Arsenic in drinking water. Retrieved December 14, 2006, from