The short answer to this question is yes. Arsenic is a deadly poison and very little is needed to cause serious health issued. If arsenic is in your water supply you’re going to need to take prompt action.
Of course, the only way of knowing if arsenic is in your water supply is either to wait until you get ill or to have your water tested daily. Unfortunately, testing daily is not a practical option.
Before you think that it could never happen, you should note that there have been incidents where the arsenic level in water is higher than the state recommend.
The Effects of Arsenic
Even a small amount of arsenic can cause serious health issues. The first clue that it has affected you is generally digestive issues. Unfortunately, there are many things which cause digestive problems, making this unlikely to be the first diagnosis.
As the arsenic progresses and builds the veins in your legs will start to breakdown, causing circulatory issues, numbness, and then mobility problems.
It will progress through your body, slowly shutting down your organs.
Alongside this, arsenic ingestion has been linked with an increased likelihood of lung cancer, kidney failure, and skin or bladder cancer. It can also increase your blood pressure and has been linked to several other health conditions.
How To Protect Yourself From Arsenic
As water testing daily isn’t a viable option the best approach is to use a water filter. It’s advisable to use water dispensers that filter using the reverse osmosis approach. These are extremely effective at removing minerals and chemicals from the water.
You can opt for water coolers with built-in filtration or under-the-sink filters? But, if you’re concerned about arsenic it’s best to choose the whole house system and ensure all your water is arsenic free.
The professionals will talk you through the various options and they will install everything for you, ensuring you’re getting clean filtered water in a matter of hours. Until the filtration system is working it’s recommended you use bottled water.
The good news is that the reverse osmosis filtration system is very simple to maintain.
Additional Benefits
Arsenic is a serious concern but a filtration system won’t just eliminate that. It’s also very effective at removing minerals, specifically calcium and magnesium which cause your water to be hard. Although these are safe to drink, they can place additional strain on your appliances and shorten their lives.
Removing them can save you money on appliance repair. The filtration system will also remove chlorine and fluoride, both of which are added to water but some research suggests a link to an increased risk of cancer.
In addition, the filter will remove contaminants that have entered the water supply since it left the treatment plant. This is possible as there are miles of pipes and it’s possible for a small crack to develop without anyone knowing about it. The crack will let water out and contaminants in.
The first step is to have your water tested, then have the filtration system fitted and know that you always have high-quality water.