What is Arsenic & How Does it Enter the Water Supply?
Arsenic is a natural occurring element that is distributed throughout the earth’s crust. Arsenic enters the water supply through natural deposits or as a product of industrial and agricultural pollution. It is also a by-product of mining and burning coal. Industries in the US release thousands of tons of arsenic into the environment every year. Arsenic bonds with many elements, including oxygen, sulfur, and chlorine. Arsenic cannot be destroyed, it can only change form. What are the Health Effects of Arsenic? According to a 1999 study by the National Academy of Sciences, “arsenic in drinking water causes bladder, lung and skin cancer, and may cause kidney and liver cancer. The study also found that arsenic harms the central and peripheral nervous systems, as well as heart and blood vessels, and causes serious skin problems. It also may cause birth defects and reproductive problems”. Ingesting low levels of arsenic over a long period of time may lead to corns, warts, or skin discolorati
