Arsenic is a known carcinogen that can cause cancer. It is most commonly found in the ground, but when it gets into our water supply, it becomes an even bigger problem. That’s why many people are turning to water filters to make sure their drinking water is safe and free of arsenic.
But how do you know which filters are the best to remove arsenic? We’ve compiled a list of 3 types of filters that can help protect your family against the dangers of arsenic in drinking water.
Health Effects of Arsenic in Drinking Water
If humans are exposed to low levels of inorganic Arsenic in water for a long period they will improve some kind of series of health issues. Serious issues such as Cancer, thickening and discoloration of the skin, blood vessel issues, high blood pressure, heart disease, and nerve damage are just a few examples.
Some other harmful effects of drinking water with arsenic include:
• Stomach pain
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Skin discoloration
• Limb numbness
• Blindness
• Partial Paralysis
• Cancer
These are all short and long-term side effects possible if you ingest too much water with arsenic content.
Best Water Filter Reviews to Remove Arsenic
We all know that the municipal water quality in our cities can be pretty bad. Chlorine, chloramine, PFOA, and PFOS are just a few of the harmful chemicals found in tap water. These chemicals have been linked to cancer, thyroid problems, and other health issues.
Using Reverse Osmosis is the recommended method to remove arsenic from water. Below I’ll go over some of the better systems and filters that I have used for many clients.
Best Under Sink Water Filter System that Removes Arsenic
There are many different ways to filter your water, but most filters require frequent replacement and they don’t remove contaminants like chlorine and lead. Plus the cost of replacing these filters adds up over time.
The SpringWell RO Under Sink System
I love this system. I have installed a few dozen over the past few years for my clients. SpringWells’ RO Under Counter System filters remove 99% of contaminants such as chlorine, arsenic, taste, and odor. 100% lead-free designer faucet plus certified JG food grade tubing and parts to provide safe, contamination-free pure water.
This super-efficient water filter can remove any kind of arsenic from your everyday water. So you do not have to worry about arsenic in your drinking water anymore.
High-quality leak-free quick connect fittings require no extra lock clips to seal leaks – not relying on a leak detector like other brands do (which will wake you up at night). Comes with all parts and the industry’s best instructions & videos for an easy DIY experience!
Their double carbon blocks are designed to remove chlorine and chemicals from drinking water. The large surface area of these special pieces guarantees a long lifetime for your filters, while also helping you stay healthier!
Springwell’s s high-quality fittings come with stainless steel teeth for a guaranteed grip and a special o-ring provides a leak-proof seal. No extra clipping parts mean you’re guaranteed protection from leaks!
This under-sink water filter offers inclusive protection that monitors the pressure in pipes or liquids by detecting even the slightest change before it becomes dangerous; this way there is no need to worry about what might happen if something goes wrong on installation.
See More Under Sink Water Filter Reviews
Best Whole House Water Filter for Removing Arsenic
The Home Master TMHP HydroPerfection filtration system is one of the best water filters to remove arsenic from your drinking water so you can enjoy better tasting and healthier water at home for years to come!
This system is easy to install with no maintenance required after installation – no more buying filters every 3-6 months like most countertop systems on the market today! You’ll save money by having clean drinking water without wasting money on bottled or canned drinks!
The Home Master TMHP HydroPerfection system is the most efficient way to reduce chlorine, sediment, dirt, rust, sand, and silt, and is consistently named one of the best whole house water filter to remove arsenic from your tap water. This means that not only will you have better tasting and healthier water at home but also better tasting food as well!
If you are thinking ‘what about arsenic?’ Yes, this whole house water filter can remove any kind of arsenic in your house water.
Enjoy clean, healthy, great-tasting water at every tap. This whole house water filtration system delivers up to 99.6% of chlorine and other contaminants that cause bad taste and odors.
Now you can keep your family safe from harmful contaminants such as lead, mercury, asbestos, bacteria, and more!
The more pure your water is, the more pure your skin and hair will be. Filtered water removes harmful chemicals and contaminants that can overall damage and dry out your hair. There’s a reason why spa owners only use filtered water, it’s to ensure clear beautiful results.
See More Whole House Water Filter Reviews
Best Countertop Water Filters the Remove Arsenic
People are worried about the taste and quality of their tap water. The problem with most people, though, is that they don’t like the taste of their tap or bottled water. They want something better but they don’t want to spend a lot of money on fancy filtration systems either.
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This Zero Water filter filters out 99% of dissolved solids from your tap water so you can drink healthier and tastier water at home or work without spending too much money on expensive filtration systems. Plus they are NSF Certified and its an inexpensive, easy way to filter arsenic from water
Their five-stage filtration process includes a filter media made from coconut shell carbon which removes chlorine and other chemicals in addition to particulates and dirt found in your municipal water supply.
This helps improve the taste of your tap or filtered bottled water by removing unwanted tastes such as chlorine, while also improving its clarity when compared to unfiltered sources. In short, ZeroWater ZD-018 ZD018 filters make every glass of filtered tap or bottled H2O taste and look better than before.
See More Countertop Water Filter Reviews
Arsenic Water Filter Buyer Guide
If you want more info in addition to the recommended products listed above, please check out this full buyer’s guide on the effects of arsenic in drinking water and what can be done about it.
Where Does Arsenic in Water Come From?
Arsenic in water can either come from natural sources or human activities.
Arsenic can be found in places like volcanic ash, bedrock, and sedimentary minerals. Arsenic in water is also found when wastewater enters the source. The arsenic levels in the water are often caused by industrial processes that use metals in which Arsenic is present.
Even when pollutants are eliminated from industrial processes, they still contain high amounts of arsenic and other pollutants. Industries like mining, agriculture, and animal husbandry can release Arsenic into the environment through wastewater as well.
Geothermal plants also produce arsenic-rich geothermal water that is released back into drinking water sources or used for irrigation purposes which increases levels of arsenic in groundwater over time.
Types of Arsenic in Water
Inorganic Arsenic
One type of arsenic in the water is called “inorganic arsenic”. This means that it is not a carbon-based substance. It does not come from living things or natural processes, but rather comes from human activity. This form of arsenic has been linked to various cancers and other serious health problems.
Organic Arsenic
Another type of Arsenic found in drinking water is called “organic arsenic”. This form of the element comes from bacteria, which convert either naturally occurring inorganic arsenic or organic arsenic to toxic forms. It takes about two weeks for these bacteria to grow on an agar plate after they are given a source of carbon (like sugar). These sources of carbon could be acetate, glucose, lactose, or succinate. A control plate with only the carbon source is also needed for comparison of bacterial growth, to determine if there are any colonies of bacteria on it.
Arsenic in Groundwater
Arsenic is a naturally occurring chemical that can be found in small concentrations (3-5 micrograms per liter) in groundwater. As the concentration of arsenic increases, people who drink this water for many years are at risk of cancer and other problems. The most common sources of arsenic in groundwater come from natural processes such as leaching from volcanic rocks, weathering from mines and smelters, and erosion of natural deposits such as arsenopyrite gold ores.
Testing for Arsenic: Harmful Levels
When arsenic was first discovered as a side effect of industrial and commercial processes, testing its different levels wasn’t easy. Luckily, the methods for measuring changed and improved over time. Today, you only need an arsenic kit to test.
These kits usually come with a bottle where you need to pour the water to test. A small strip goes into the water, causing a chemical reaction within the arsenic compounds and zinc that produces arsine gas. This gas is then measured to find out how much arsenic is within the water.
It gives the result via PPB (parts per billion). It is known that even 3 ppb of arsenic in a small bottle of water can cause severe health damage.
Another way to calculate arsenic (by measuring metal in the water) is to use a TDS meter. It refers to a Total Dissolved Solids meter that checks the water’s acidity and conductivity level, telling you an approximate of the particles via PPM (particles per million).
In this case, levels over 5 ppm can be extremely dangerous (if there’s arsenic on the water).
Recommended Processes To Filter Out Arsenic
Reverse Osmosis (RO) Filters
When it comes to cost per gallon, reverse osmosis (RO) is the most affordable way of arsenic removal from well water. Apart from being inexpensive, reverse osmosis makes it possible to remove everything from iron, lead, and chromium to arsenic from the water. It can remove up to 95% of all arsenic (+3 and +5).
Most reverse osmosis filters, however, are used as an under-sink or faucet-dependent system. In case you need something that filters a lot of water or can handle an entire house water delivery system, then reverse osmosis won’t be your best idea.
Anionic Exchange (Resin) Filters
While RO filters are excellent for reducing the amount of arsenic in the water, they don’t perform as fast as an anionic exchange filter (or resin bed). These resin filters are the most popular because of their capacity to rapidly filter out water, getting rid of metals like iron and manganese while reducing arsenic exponentially.
An anionic exchange filter is also more popular, mainly because these systems come with whole-house designs. Meaning they can filter out water in massive quantities without affecting the quality of the filtering process.
Iron-Oxide Filters
For people who want to increase their filtering capacity, an iron-oxide filter comes like a charm. These excellent filters lower arsenic levels exponentially by using a similar mechanism to the carbon filter. It is made of a specific piece of media made of iron-oxide material capable of trapping metals like arsenic.
The advantage of iron-oxide filters is that they come in both in-line and whole-house designs. You can decide which type to use depending on your needs. Yet, they’re also excellent arsenic-removal systems, typically used as enhancements for other filters or standalone for rapid filtering capacity.
How to Filter Arsenic from Well Water?
The best way to remove arsenic from well water is to use a filtration system like reverse osmosis, iron-oxide, or anionic exchange to filter out – as we explained before.
It is common to find people who affirm that boiling or heating the water removes arsenic. But that’s not true. As a metal, arsenic is not susceptible to heat. Instead, heat boils down water leaving the arsenic behind. By boiling or heating the water, you are increasing the amount of arsenic.
Filtering the entire well is pretty difficult to impossible (unless you count with tons of money to spend). Generally, it is recommended to install filters on faucets or lines that connect with the well. If you don’t have well-connected plumbing lines, then distillation and ultra-filtration are also filtering methods worth trying.
Other less practical but still worth-mentioning methods include lime and coagulants, as well as precipitation. These methods are less effective but still worth noting as cheap and accessible options.
By now, you should be aware of a thing or two about the best arsenic removal system. But there’s a chance you still have a few doubts about them. Below, we answer some of the common questions, probably including one of your doubts.
FAQ’s
How Much Arsenic Is Safe In Well Water?
Whether it is on a well or any other water source, arsenic should be less than 10 micrograms per liter. To make it easier to understand, you should find no more than 10 ppb (parts per billion) of arsenic in the water.
After using a water tester for arsenic, you should make sure the well has less arsenic than 10 ppb. Otherwise, it will be necessary to filter or re-filter the water for consumption (mostly drinking).
Does a water softener remove arsenic in water?
No. Arsenic is found in nearly all ground and surface water to some extent, making it the most widespread toxic element. A water softener would not be able to remove arsenic from the tap water. In fact, a high concentration of arsenic can corrode certain materials used in a water softener.
Will a carbon filter remove arsenic?
Carbon filters will remove arsenic as long as the carbon is active enough to do so. Make sure that you use activated carbon, instead of just any old carbon filter. Get a water filtration system or a high-quality faucet purifier for best results.
Cost of removing arsenic from well water?
The typical costs of removing arsenic from well water can be anywhere from $50 to $5000 depending on the type of water filter you purchase.
Can I Boil Water To Remove Arsenic?
No. Boiling water will not remove arsenic from groundwater. You will actually be concentrating the arsenic in the boiled water as some of the water evaporates leaving the arsenic in what’s remaining.
How common is arsenic in water?
The answer depends on the place and closeness to industrial processes. Generally, however, arsenic is found on at least 30% of all wells and water sources worldwide. Millions up to billions of people around the world are in contact with arsenic-filled water. In the US alone, 40% of all dug wells contain arsenic.
What is a natural way to remove arsenic from water?
Two natural methods are easy to repeat: coagulation and adsorption. Coagulation is about using metal salts and lime to form flocs that trap the arsenic in the water. Adsorption is about using a solid material that attracts arsenic, like electrostatic metal hydroxide.
Does RO remove arsenic from water?
Yes, reverse osmosis (RO) is one of the best ways to remove arsenic from different water sources. Not only does it remove arsenic but many other contaminants and metals, going from manganese and iron to lead and chromium, as well as a wide array of chemicals like sodium and chloride.
What does arsenic in water smell like?
There’s no way to detect arsenic via smell. When arsenic is in incredibly high quantities, it could be dangerous even to smell it. According to experts, arsenic smells similar to metal, so that could give you a better idea. But in small quantities, as you can find it in most water sources, it has no smell or color.
Conclusion
If you want to prevent all the major dangers of drinking arsenic causes, nothing will help you more than having the best arsenic removal system at home.
Arsenic is a pretty dangerous metal, as you already learned. So you must pick precisely what meets your demands – both in quality and filtration capacity. There are many different systems to go for, so it is vital to pay good attention to what you truly need before choosing.
Luckily, with our set of reviews and the small buying guide, this shouldn’t be much of a problem. If you read our reviews thoroughly, it will be easy to determine which model best matches what you need.
Sources:
- https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/private/wells/disease/arsenic.html
- https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/water/contaminants/arsenic.html
- https://www.usgs.gov/mission-areas/water-resources/science/arsenic-and-drinking-water?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects
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