Contamination Of Drinking-Water By Arsenic: A Public Health Emergency

Arsenic is rapidly cleared from the body and often is undetectable after only a few hours. However, continuous exposure to arsenic can result in severe poisoning and multiple organ involvement. Arsenic is one of the most common pollutants and contamination of food and water is widespread and consumption is significant. Recent studies have linked a correlation between dermatofibromas and arsenic. One study suggested that the combination of dermatofibromas and arsenic caused the development of breast cancer. However, the exact cause in development of dermatofibroma is unknown but damage to the endothelial cells is commonly caused by arsenic exposure. Instead of the arsenic being excreted in eccrine glands, arsenic becomes deposited in a concentrated area of the body and built over a period of time causes the growth and development of

Potential lead contamination from drinking water presents a significant health risk. Recent examples of this lead contamination include Flint, Michigan, a city that experienced a large increase in the number of people, especially children, who exhibited symptoms of lead poisoning. A March 9, 2016 article in the Washington Post reported data from the Environmental Protection Agency that indicated approximately 350 schools and day-care centers across the US failed lead tests approximately 470 times between 2012 and 2015. Seven years ago, according to the Post, a study concluded that hundreds of young children in Washington, DC, had potentially damaging amounts of lead in their blood due to contamination in the city’s tap water. The toxin can cause permanent developmental and behavioral issues.

In Flint Michigan, nearly 100,000 residents are drinking lead contaminated water. (QuickFacts). We are not discussing a third world country on the other side of the globe, but rather a city in the United States. It would seem as though the land of opportunity, and the land many flee too should be able to provide clean drinking water. However, in the United States 310,000 children aged 1-5 are found with an unsafe level of lead running through their blood stream. (Lead 8). In Flint alone, 8,000 children under the age of six have been exposed to harmful levels of lead. The agencies and government that was put into place to protect the public from these issues is often turning a blind eye, and often allowing the public to continue to drink this contaminated water. A major part of the problem is that lead water pipes run throughout cities across the United States. Although it would very expensive to replace all the water pipes running through Flint, not replacing the pipes could potentially continue to do more harm to the ecosystems, and to the communities they are in. (rst2)

While nitrates are one of the major contaminants in the area, San Joaquin Valley residents face drinking water pollution from many other sources including arsenic, coliform bacteria, and pesticides. Arsenic is a naturally occurring semi-metal element that is found in different types of rocks. While arsenic primarily occurs naturally, human activities impact the amount of arsenic in groundwater. Arsenic is not only toxic at high concentrations, but also harmful after prolonged exposure at moderately elevated levels. California recognizes arsenic as a human carcinogen and believes prolonged exposure to the element to be associated with various cancers, including skin, bladder, kidney, lung, and liver cancers. A study in Maine found a connection between water contaminated

The German alchemist, Albertus Magnus from the 13th century, is the man who is known for first identifying Arsenic. Being number 33 on the periodic table, arsenic falls inside the metalloid line because of its characteristics. According to the Green Facts website “Arsenic is a naturally occurring element that can be found in the Earth crust.” (Arsenic n.d.) It

This chemical tends to occur naturally in soil, so sometimes it can make its way into your well. If you drink too much water contaminated with arsenic, you will be susceptible to an array of harsh side effects such as vomiting and a burning feeling. If your water supply is never checked and you drink arsenic-laced water regularly over time, your risk factor for developing several kinds of cancer will increase substantially.

Arsenic has an atomic number of 33 and a relative atomic mass of 74.922amu. Arsenic is an odd element, as it acts like metal even though it is a natural element. Arsenic is found in natural environments, and in limited quantities found in rocks, soil, water and more. Arsenic was very known to the ancient Egyptians and the Chinese, they used Arsenic as a way of gilding metals. The orpiment(As2S3) and the realgar (As4S4) : are the two Arsenic sulphide minerals that Greek Philosopher, Theophrastus. As2O3 is the trioxide, is one of the end products of copper refining. This is a form of arsenic that has also been known for awhile now, and it is called white arsenic. The official discovery of arsenic is to Alberts Magnus in around the 1200s. As to the physical property, it is radiant, has a silver colour and fragile, as it is a semi-metal. When in exposed to air, it is rapidly damaged, because of the usual elements in air, such as nitrogen and more. Arsenic is not particularly used in any technology, but recently we use Arsenic in semiconductor gallium arsenide, it can convert electric currents to laser lights. Usually it is not used

Since, arsenic in our environment is not only due to arsenic containing minerals in the earth, it is important to say that most of the arsenic problems we have today are result of human activity, such as the use of arsenic based products for industrial and agricultural purposes like use of arsenic containing pesticides on crops, insecticides, drugs fed to chicken and some other animals (for example Nitarsone).

Exposure to arsenic trioxide take place of variety ways, for example, fuel, drinking water, pesticides, air, and food that is a threat for human health [8,16].

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — High levels of arsenic and lead have been found in monitoring wells at the Allen Fossil Plant in Southwest Memphis. Tennessee Valley Authority, which operates the power plant, notified the state in May that several wells monitoring water about 50 feet below the ground turned up with elevated levels

In order to remove arsenic, we need to detect it first. However, finding arsenic may not be sufficient because arsenic cannot be removed from bodies once it is absorbed. That is why we need a reliable and continuous detection system that monitors arsenic 24/7 all over the world. Currently companies have to send specialists every time they monitor contaminations, and there is no continuous monitoring

Arsenic is a poison that interferes with ATP production. It is a metalloid that is found in our environment. Arsenic is toxic if inhaled and must be combined with another source for it to react and affect something. It comes in various forms such as crystalline, powder, vitreous and amorphous. Arsenic can be found in groundwater that people use for drinking. Groundwater contamination is usually occurring from a leak due to industrial exposure.

The arsenic contaminated water should not be used for drinking. Hospitalization with good nutritional diet reduces the primary symptoms. A high protein diet in food helps in clearance of inorganic arsenic by the process of methylation. Supplemental potassium decreases the risk of experiencing a life threatening heart rhythm problem from arsenic trioxide. The patients should be treated clinically based upon the symptoms. Bronchial irritation must be stopped to prevent arsenic induced bronchitis. Hence the smokers must be motivated to quit smoking (Guha et al, 1998; Saha,

Arsenic with the symbol As is a metalloid that means it has properties from both metals and nonmetals. It is a natural component of the earth’s crust and you can find it in its gray, yellow and black form. In the environment it forms organic and inorganic chemical compounds as a result of natural and anthropogenic activities.

Arsenic in ground water poses a serious environmental hazard for Bangladesh. About ninety-seven percentages (97%) of Bangladesh people have been using ground water as the main source of drinking water but the water has been threatened by arsenic contamination. More than half (52%) of the studied population drink well-water containing >50ug/L of arsenic and more than two-thirds (70%) drink well-water containing >10ug/L of arsenic. The acceptable level of arsenic in drinking water is 0.05 mg/L for Bangladesh but some places it is found more than 70 times higher than that standard. About 80 million people are at a risk of arsenic contamination.