What is Arsenic?

 

Arsenic is a semi-metal element in the periodic table. It is odorless and tasteless. It enters drinking water supplies from natural deposits in the earth or from agricultural and industrial practices.  

 

Arsenic occurs naturally in rocks and soil, water, air, and plants and animals. Arsenic gets into well water through natural erosion. As ground water flows through rocks and soil that contain arsenic, some of the arsenic
dissolves into the water. It can be further released into the environment through natural activities such as volcanic action, erosion of rocks and forest fires, or through human actions.

 

Non-cancer effects can include thickening and discoloration of the skin, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting; diarrhea; numbness in hands and feet; partial paralysis; and blindness. Arsenic has been linked to cancer of the bladder, lungs, skin, kidney, nasal passages, liver, and prostate. Known carcinogen, based on sufficient evidence from human data.  An increased lung cancer mortality was observed in multiple human populations exposed primarily through inhalation.  Also, increased mortality from multiple internal organ cancers (liver, kidney, lung, and bladder) and an increased incidence of skin cancer were observed in populations consuming drinking water high in inorganic arsenic.  ​