Arsenic contaminated drinking water, is your water affected, what will you do if it is, how will you deal with Arsenic?

  A common predicament in a number of our communities is that our water is contaminated with Arsenic, it occurs in industrial process water, community drinking water, and many of our water supplies. While working in the electrical generating industry one of the most difficult compounds to remove from our processes that used water was (and remains I'm sure) Arsenic. The last company I worked for had 5 plants along the river from Oakley, Calif. to Baypoint Calif. west of Pittsburg and east of Baypoint. Each plant pumped water from the river, actually, the confluence of the American and San Joaquin rivers is near Antioch. The river has a number of heavy metals and chemicals in it, as most rivers in the U.S, do, I don't know about foreign countries but I would assume a good portion of them do as well. There is Arsenic in the river water, to compound it the water that is used in the "Cooling Tower" picked up more arsenic. The cooling towers were made of wood, treated wood, and because these were built prior to 2004 when arsenic was taken out of the formula for wood preservative, arsenic was still present. The chemicals in the wood leached into the water, as part of the process some of the water would have to be returned to the river. It could go back to the river if it was cleaner than when it came out, no one had a problem with that, except arsenic is extremely difficult if not impossible to remove from water. We had to send ours to "Perk Ponds", we all see them along highways and in most housing sub-divisions to collect rain run-off. The perk ponds at the sites were designed to allow the water to percolate into the water table, leaving the arsenic in the soil during its travel down. We are in a tidal zone, the river rises and falls keeping time for people who live near a tide affected body of water, it's funny actually how we do relate time to the tide. The Perk Ponds rise and fall with the tides, It may be actually scrubbing the water, although I'm not sure about that. The water would have to be returned to the river with levels of arsenic acceptable to the State for human consumption, 10 ppb, yes 10 parts per billion, it is just that dangerous for us to consume.

This is how a cooling tower is constructed and works.

  Our house has well water, we have a small water company, they are common in rural areas of California, however, our water is not potable. Our water is contaminated with arsenic also, it is below 10 ppb so if we had to drink it the arsenic would not be a barrier, there are other contaminants in the water. We have an R.O. system over the kitchen sink to purify water to the point we can drink it, we also purchase bottled water, I've written about it extensively. I write about it as an example of how we rotate water through our reserve "stash", it's a big part of our self-reliance planning, in our case, it flows naturally.
  Is there a way to remove arsenic from water? First, let us go through what won't work.

  Boiling water will not remove it, Chlorine disinfection will not eliminate it, nor will normal filtering it out work.

  Distillation, ultra-filtration, ion exchange, or a reverse osmosis system will all remove it, typically one of these units is installed at one faucet, although whole house units are available.

  Where is the Arsenic?

  Arsenic occurs in rocks and soil in a natural state, it is mined for industrial and agricultural uses. It is used as an additive with other chemicals to combat insects that invade cotton and other crops. Not only does it occur naturally but it is also a by-product of burning coal, copper smelting, and the ash in some boiler fuels. It is also used in wood preservatives which have not been used since 2004. Manufacturers of treated wood voluntarily stopped using the chemicals in December 2003, in fact, they stopped using the chemical compound CCA, which stands for Chromium, Copper, and Arsenic, the chemical compound used in wood preservative. (I wrote a blog on CCA some months ago, if you'd like to read it follow this Link, it truly is interesting.) One tablespoon can kill a human, 5 can kill a full-grown cow. (Follow this Link to W.H.O. paper on Arsenic in our Water)

  How does it get into our water?

  Through industrial or agricultural pollution, from naturally occurring deposits as the water table falls, Some industrial processes release thousands of pounds into the environment every year, where it remains for a very long time. It can be removed from the air by rain, snow, and gravity. Once on the ground, the arsenic will work it's way to the water table contaminating it, contaminating wells and ponds. High arsenic levels in wells may also be caused by agricultural run-off from fertilizers or industrial waste. High concentrations of arsenic in a well may also be indicative of a problem with the well, improper construction, cracked casing, or a natural deposit may be at the bottom of the well. If you think your well may be contaminated contact your State Certification Officer, they will have a list of labs in your area that will test your water for a fee.
  Stockholm Univerisity has discovered a moss that is capable of removing arsenic from water, it is very quick. In one hour it can remove enough water to make it safe to drink. It's important in Sweden due to mining in the Northern part of that country. It removes 80% of the arsenic from a container of water in an hour or less, making it harmless to people. The report on the moss was released yesterday and published today April 16, 2018. This may be a discovery that may not make the earth shake, but it may move it a tiny bit, it can have major repercussions. I'm thinking of lining the Perk Ponds with it, I wonder if it will work like that, effectively turning it into a "captured" water filter in a natural environment. not sounding like a filter it's more like a living entity filtering the arsenic out and using it as a nutrient perhaps. I have to do more research but it promises to be interesting. (Link to an article on the Swedish research)
  We've all dealt with arsenic in our water for our entire lives, knowingly or not, I did not realize how widespread it is, I read a lot about arsenic and worked with water contaminated with it, my awareness level was low. It can cause disease, skin, lung, bladder, and kidney cancer and has been reported in people ingesting arsenic in concentrations higher than 50ppb per liter, sometimes even lower amounts have been attributed to the illnesses.
  The signs and symptoms of arsenic poisoning in humans include the following.
1) Metallic taste in the mouth, and breath that smells a lot like garlic
3) Blood in the urine.
4) Cramping muscles
5) Hair loss
6) Stomach Cramps
7) Convulsions
8) Drowsiness
9) Headaches
10) Confusion
11) Severe Diarrhea

  This is what you can expect if you display symptoms and end up being diagnosed with Arsenic poisoning:
1) Remove all clothing that could have been contaminated, dispose of them, incineration is the best way to dispose of it.
2) Wash and rinse all skin that has been exposed and is affected.
3) You will most likely need blood transfusions
4) Heart medication, just in case your heart starts to fail and to combat fatal heart rhythm problems.
5) Blood test monitoring for kidney functions.
6) Bowel irrigation is a real possibility, irrigation removes trace arsenic and prevents it from being absorbed into the intestines, stomach, and other parts of the gut.
7) Chelation therapy may be employed, it isolates arsenic from the blood proteins.

Any well is capable of being contaminated.

  Arsenic in our drinking water is a big deal if you suspect your well, or water supply is compromised, get it checked, then develop a plan to deal with it. I hope this blog will serve as a motivator, just to start thinking about it and a remedy. I don't know if that has to be reported during the sale of a home or property in the disclosures, if it's known I would think it has to be, Thank you for reading and sharing my blog, leave a comment I answer them all, and appreciate the feedback, thanks.
jacquesandkate  EmergencyKitsPlus.com