The Effectiveness of Arsenic Remediation from Groundwater in a Private Home

Abstract

Private wells are the source of drinking water for approximately 15% of households in the United States, but these wells are not regulated or monitored by government agencies. The well waters can contain arsenic, a known carcinogen that occurs in groundwater throughout the nation at concentrations that can exceed the Maximum Contaminant Level defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (10 ppb). In order to reduce arsenic exposure, homeowners can either rely on bottled water for drinking or install in‐house water treatment systems for arsenic removal. Here, we document the arsenic levels associated with these options. We examined 24 different major bottled water brands and found that all have arsenic levels <1.5 parts per billion (ppb), and more than half have levels below our measurement detection limit of 0.005 ppb. For in‐house treatment systems, we examined the performance of arsenic removal by point‐of‐use reverse osmosis filtration, and by whole‐house and point‐of‐use filters containing granulated ferric oxide. Our results show that long‐term (2 years) filtration with granulated ferric oxide reduced arsenic in well water from an initial concentration of 4 to 9 ppb down to <0.005 ppb, validating this technology as an effective form of arsenic remediation for private homes.

Arsenic in North Carolina: Public Health Implications

“…To lessen the risk of exposure to arsenic in drinking water, recommended preventative measures include point-of-use removal, modification of well depth, and/or use of an alternate water source (Alaerts and Khouri 2004; Pratson et al 2010). These solutions are rarely cost-effective, however, and may not be feasible in rural areas.…”

Chronic Exposure to Low‐Dose Arsenic Modulates Lipogenic Gene Expression in Mice

“…The interpretations of studies on the metabolic effects of arsenic are made difficult by the use of different doses and duration of exposure. Although the current MCL of arsenic stands at 10 ppb, higher levels of arsenic exposure continue to be an issue . We utilized a concentration that exceeds the MCL, and duration of exposure, though sufficient to be considered chronic, was relatively short.…”

Determination of arsenic levels in the water resources of Aksaray Province, Turkey

“…The analyses revealed that Melendiz Stream was carrying more arsenic to the lake. The conventional technologies that have been used to treat Ascontaminated water are coagulation (Karcher et al, 1999;Mamtaz and Bache, 2000;Baskan and Pala, 2009), adsorption to activated alumina (Bhattacharya et al, 2002;Spelman, 2003), ion exchange with strong-base anion-exchange resins (Spelman, 2003), and reverse osmosis (Bhattacharya et al, 2002;Pratson et al, 2010). The use of new adsorbents (Loukidou et al, 2003;Thirunavukkarasu et al, 2003;Pokhrel and Viraraghavan, 2006;Czerniczyniec et al, 2007;Sun et al, 2007;Su and Puls, 2008), in situ passive reactive barriers (Lindberg et al, 1997), bioremediation with chemical precipitation, and aquifer oxygenation are some of the emerging technologies for the in situ removal of As from groundwater.…”