arsenic level in drinking water

0000003926 00000 n Drinking Water Standard The maximum level of arsenic the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allows in community water systems is 10 micrograms per liter (µg/L*). Arsenic is one of WHO’s 10 chemicals of major public health concern. Guo HR(1). The greatest concern was in the Southwest, where concentrations of arsenic exceeded the MCL in about 16 percent of drinking-water wells sampled. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) today released a study which indicates that levels of naturally occurring arsenic and uranium exceed drinking water standards in some private drinking water wells in central and northeastern Massachusetts. Understanding the factors that affect concentrations of arsenic and other contaminants with geologic sources in groundwater can help water suppliers prioritize areas for new groundwater development and reduce treatment costs. Ayotte, Joseph D., Medalie, Laura, Qi, Sharon L., Backer, Lorraine C., and Nolan, Bernard T., 2017, Estimating the High-Arsenic Domestic-Well Population in the Conterminous United States. * However, drinking water with arsenic at levels lower than the EPA standard over many years can still increase your risk of cancer. Reliable drinking water is vital for the health and safety of all Americans. 0 ppb EPA’s Maximum Contaminant Level GOAL for arsenic in public water (not enforced). The redox state of groundwater—whether the groundwater is oxic (oxidized) or anoxic (reduced)—has profound implications for groundwater quality. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the current Maximum Acceptable Concentration (MAC) of arsenic in drinking water is 10 μg/L or 0.010 milligrams per liter (mg/L). A Summary of Arsenic Levels. Free arsenic testing for private water wells in Licking County, Ohio is available at two public workshops, as part of a collaborative project by the U.S. Geological Survey, Licking County Health Department, Ohio Water Development Authority, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Ohio Department of Health, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Historically, these public and community water supplies were required to have arsenic concentrations below 50 parts per billion (ppb); that level has now been reduced to 10 ppb as of 2006. Incidence rates in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont are about 20% higher than the United States overall. doi: 10.1111/gwat.12316. J Natl Cancer Inst (2016) 108 (9): djw099. 0000005364 00000 n Most Arsenic Presumed to be From Naturally Occurring Sources. In 2001, the Environmental Protection Agency lowered the drinking-water standard from 50 parts per billion of arsenic to 10 parts per billion. Natural attenuation relies on biodegradation of hydrocarbons coupled with reduction of electron acceptors, including solid phase ferric iron (Fe(III)). Groundwater supplies 50% of drinking water worldwide, but compromised water quality from anthropogenic and geogenic contaminants can limit usage of groundwater as a drinking water source. In a national study of groundwater quality, the USGS found that arsenic was detected in nearly half of the wells sampled in parts of aquifers used for drinking-water supply at a concentration of 1 µg/L or greater. The USGS investigates where and how trace elements make their way into our Nation's surface water and groundwater. How can you remove arsenic from drinking water? “We know that arsenic is a potent human carcinogen,” Nigra says. Water systems had to meet the new standard by January 23, 2006. Once on the ground or in surface water, arsenic can slowly enter ground water. Learn about groundwater quality in the Principal Aquifers of nine regions across the United States in informative circulars filled with figures, photos, and water-quality information. Minimal acceptable levels of arsenic in drinking water. About 7 percent of the wells sampled contained arsenic at a concentration that exceeded the MCL of 10 µg/L, indicating a potential health risk. Learn about how the USGS is using sophisticated techniques to predict groundwater quality and view national maps of groundwater quality. There are many tracers and techniques that allow us to estimate the age—or mix of ages—of the groundwater we depend on as a drinking water supply. Cancer Causes Control. Author information: (1)Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 138 Sheng-Li Road, Tainan 70428, Taiwan. 0000005645 00000 n We explored reasons for this excess, focusing on arsenic in drinking water from private wells, which are particularly prevalent in... Probabilities of arsenic in groundwater at depths used for domestic and public supply in the Central Valley of California are predicted using weak-learner ensemble models (boosted regression trees, BRT) and more traditional linear models (logistic regression, LR). (2015), Arsenic Cycling in Hydrocarbon Plumes: Secondary Effects of Natural Attenuation. %%EOF A. In 2001, the USEPA lowered the MCL for arsenic in public-water supplies to 10 micrograms per liter (µg/L) from 50 µg/L. 0000002564 00000 n Dalsu Baris Richard Waddell Laura E. Beane Freeman Molly Schwenn Joanne S. Colt Joseph D. Ayotte Mary H. Ward John Nuckols Alan Schned Brian Jackson ... Show more trailer 113 0 obj<>stream Arsenic concentrations from 20 450 domestic wells in the U.S. were used to develop a logistic regression model of the probability of having arsenic >10 μg/L (“high arsenic”), which is presented at the county, state, and national scales. Arsenic was detected more frequently and at higher concentrations in wells in the West than in the East. Arsenic-contaminated groundwater has been found in the US, Taiwan, 1 Mexico, 2 Chile 3, 4 and Argentina, 5 but the largest reported population exposed to inorganic arsenic is in West Bengal, India and neighbouring Bangladesh. EPA’s goal for the concentration of arsenic in drinking water is zero.” 0000000636 00000 n 0000003677 00000 n Other Principal Aquifers with concerns for arsenic included the Glacial aquifer system (northern U.S.), the crystalline rock aquifers of the Piedmont, Blue Ridge, and Valley and Ridge Aquifers (northern U.S.), and the Mississipppi Embayment–Texas Coastal Uplands Aquifer System and Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer (southeastern U.S.). The US subsequently set a more stringent requirement of 0.01 mg/L (10 ppb) to protect human health and the environment and compliance was required beginning in January 2006. The standard for arsenic is 10 PPB, or parts per billion, or micrograms per liter. 2 ppb Average arsenic levels in U.S. drinking water. Metals, metalloids, and radionuclides all are trace elements that occur naturally in the Earth's crust. High arsenic levels in private wells may come from certain arsenic containing fertilizers used in the past or industrial waste. 97 17 The U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set standards for the maximum level of numerous naturally-occurring ground water contaminants that should be found in drinking water, known as MCL (maximum contaminant levels). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) federal drinking water standard for arsenic in drinking water is 10 micrograms per liter (µg/L). Arsenic also can be released into groundwater as a result of human activities, such as mining, and from its various uses in industry, in animal feed, as a wood preservative, and as a pesticide. 0000001254 00000 n Arsenic contamination of groundwater is a form of groundwater pollution which is often due to naturally occurring high concentrations of arsenic in deeper levels of groundwater.It is a high-profile problem due to the use of deep tube wells for water supply in the Ganges Delta, causing serious arsenic poisoning to large numbers of people. [maybe use photo from p. 18]  Factors that contribute to elevated concentrations of arsenic in these aquifers include long groundwater residence times, rock type, high pH, arid climate, and irrigation practices. Maps of estimated nitrate and arsenic concentrations in basin-fill aquifers of the southwestern United States; 2012; SIM; 3234; Beisner, Kimberly R.; Anning, David W.; Paul, Angela P.; McKinney, Tim S.; Huntington, Jena M.; Bexfield, Laura M.; Thiros, Susan A. 97 0 obj <> endobj High concentrations of naturally occurring arsenic are present in interconnected water bodies within Wind Cave National Park, S.D., according to a new U.S. Geological Survey report. Arsenic is a type of carcinogen that’s gray, silver, or white in color. The quality and safety of water from domestic wells are not regulated by the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act or, in most cases, by state laws. The only way to detect this harmful contaminant in your water through testing. The USGS plays an active role in protecting human health from potential issues related to our Nation's natural resources. “It impacts nearly every major organ system in the human body. Short to medium term exposure to very high levels of arsenic in drinking water over days or weeks can lead to arsenic poisoning. The USGS study, published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, found that amounts of arsenic and copper exceeded what would be expected to occur naturally in this setting. Eight percent of more than 5,000 wells tested across Pennsylvania contain groundwater with levels of arsenic at or above federal standards set for public drinking water, while an additional 12 percent – though not exceeding standards – show elevated levels of arsenic. Wells located near ancient folds and fractures in the bedrock beneath southeastern Wisconsin are more likely to contain arsenic, a dangerous contaminant in drinking water, according to research just published by the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey.. <]>> 0000001508 00000 n Knowing the redox conditions of groundwater can help determine whether it contains elevated levels of many contaminants, including arsenic, nitrate, and even some manmade contaminants. Kingsbury, J.A., Bexfield, L.M., Arnold, T., Musgrove, M., Erickson, M.L., Degnan, J.R., Tesoriero, A.J., Lindsey, B.D., and Belitz, K., 2021, Groundwater-quality and select quality-control data from the National Water-Quality Assessment Project, January 2017 through December 2019: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 1136, 97 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ds1136. 0000002219 00000 n In 2001, the USEPA lowered the MCL for arsenic in public-water supplies to 10 micrograms per liter (µg/L) from 50 µg/L. 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