What is arsenic? What are its harmful effects and dangers to health?

What is arsenic? Arsenic is a chemical element that is abundant in nature, silvery white, bright like tin, brittle. Arsenic is divided into two types: organic and inorganic arsenic. Organic arsenic is non-toxic and easily eliminated from the body. Meanwhile, inorganic arsenic is 4 times more toxic than mercury and has adverse effects on human health if exposed for a long time such as: digestive disorders, numbness in hands and feet, severe hair loss, high blood pressure, etc. To avoid absorbing arsenic, you should use clean, treated water sources or advanced water filtration technologies to remove residue.

What is Arsenic?

Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As, atomic number 33, easily soluble in water. Arsenic is a component of the Earth’s crust sediments, so it is abundant in nature and groundwater, but at very low concentrations.

Arsenic is divided into two types: organic arsenic and inorganic arsenic. Organic arsenic is formed during the decomposition of seafood, especially fish. Organic arsenic is non-toxic and is easily eliminated from the body without affecting human health. Meanwhile, inorganic arsenic is an extremely toxic chemical, 4 times more toxic than mercury. Inorganic arsenic and its compounds are used in the composition of wood preservatives, pesticides, and herbicides.

Arsenic exposure and exposure sites

Food 

Arsenic in food is mostly organic arsenic, which is less dangerous to humans despite its high content. Foods containing arsenic include: rice, cereals, mushrooms, seafood, fruits, etc. You should know this after learning “What is arsenic?”.

Community/ outdoor exposure 

If you regularly inhale or eat foods high in arsenic, you will be exposed to arsenic. High arsenic areas that you should avoid include: industrial areas that use wood preservatives, areas near smelters, fields or gardens that use chemicals made from arsenic, glass factories, and burning tobacco or fossil fuels that also release arsenic into the air. Here’s what you need to know after learning “What is arsenic?”.

Water source 

Arsenic and its compounds can enter our water supply in a number of ways. Through agricultural activities, herbicides and pesticides will accumulate in large amounts in the soil, then they will gradually seep and reach the groundwater. In normal drinking water, arsenic is also present in the mineral components of water.

The results of many studies have shown that the arsenic content in groundwater and wells is often much higher than in water from rivers and lakes. You should know this after learning “What is Arsenic?”.

What is the allowable level of arsenic in water sources?

According to standards in Vietnam and many other regions in the world, 10 micrograms/liter (equivalent to 0.01 milligrams) is the amount of arsenic allowed in water. If you use water containing arsenic levels exceeding this threshold, it will cause serious long-term health consequences. This is what you need to keep in mind after learning “What is arsenic?”.

Common symptoms when using arsenic contaminated water 

The first symptoms after exposure to arsenic are thick, warty patches on the limbs, soles of the feet, and palms of the hands, which appear as wart-like bumps that gradually grow to the size of green beans or peanuts. They then spread into rough patches. The thick, warty patches usually grow symmetrically on both sides, and can also appear on the back, thighs, abdomen, arms, and calves. The skin in the horny areas may turn yellow and crack. 

After that, small, dark spots (raised or flat) may appear on the skin everywhere, mostly in covered areas such as the abdomen, calves, and chest. In addition, small, flat, white spots may appear on the abdomen, chest, back, waist, calves, and forearms. In the early stages of arsenic exposure, skin pigmentation will change. This is something you should keep in mind after learning “What is Arsenic?”.

Numbness in the fingertips and toes is caused by blockage of blood vessels in the extremities. The patient will feel numbness in the extremities and gradually feel pain. At the same time, the fingers and toes can become necrotic due to lack of oxygenated blood to the extremities. 

In addition, other manifestations of arsenic exposure include: numbness in hands and feet, severe hair loss, digestive disorders, cirrhosis, high blood pressure, patchy skin pigmentation, miscarriage, low birth weight, pregnancy poisoning, etc. 

How to treat arsenic contaminated water?

In Vietnam, industrial water treatment in factories can partially remove arsenic from water. However, due to many problems in operating water treatment systems and poor quality of water pipes, treated tap water in Vietnam still has a risk of containing high levels of arsenic.

To avoid absorbing arsenic, you should use clean, treated water sources or water filtration technologies to remove all residue. 

In addition, arsenic is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless substance, so with the usual senses, you cannot detect this residue in drinking water. To check whether the water source in your home contains toxic arsenic residue, you need to bring a sample of drinking water for testing. 

Currently, the methods of treating arsenic in regular drinking water are quite complicated and not guaranteed. The best solution to this problem is to use an RO water filtration system. Just invest in an RO water filter, you can use a long-term quality water source. The core replacement needs to be done once or twice a year, depending on the quality of the water at the tap. This is to ensure that the water quality is always high during use. If you need to buy a quality RO water filtration system at a good price, please contact Song Phung Environmental Company immediately for quick support and advice!

Above is basic information about what arsenic is, the allowable arsenic content in water and common symptoms of arsenic contamination. Hopefully you have learned more useful information to limit arsenic exposure. If you want to buy a quality, affordable water purifier for your family, Song Phung Environmental Company will be the perfect choice. Contact the hotline now for quick advice and support!

>> See more: What Is Filtered Water? Types Of Filtered Water Commonly Used

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