About Arsenic

Compiled by: Ahmet Kemal SAN, Environmental Engineer

ahmetkemalsan@gmail.com , 29.10.2022  

Arsenic, which has a feature between metal and nonmetal, is one of the most abundant elements in the earth's crust.

It can be found in nature both naturally and industrially. Arsenic is a toxic and carcinogenic substance. The most abundant inorganic arsenic species in water are arsenite (As(III)) and arsenate (As(V)).

Many people have faced the risk of arsenic poisoning due to naturally occurring groundwater arsenic pollution in many regions of the world. In some regions of Turkey, arsenic concentrations are higher than 10 mg/L, which is the maximum pollutant level determined for arsenic in drinking water. Arsenic pollution, which occurs naturally in well waters, is caused by the type of rock, mineral and ore structure at the depth of the water in the well.

Arsenic (As) is a semi-metallic element that has no taste, odor or color and is not easily soluble. When arsenic-containing materials are used as industrial poisons, they are released in the environment as a byproduct of mining or agriculture.

Arsenic is a highly toxic substance and is considered a carcinogen.

Arsenic in water has no color, taste or odor.

It readily reacts chemically with arsenic and phosphate, so some arsenic may be present in commercial grade phosphate.

Arsenic is highly toxic. In 2001, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revised the amount of arsenic in drinking water to 0.010 mg/l (10mg/L-10 ppb) instead of 0.050 mg/l per billion (50 ppb).

Arsenic (arsenic salt) enters water supplies from soil, rocks, or industrial and agricultural pollution.

Arsenic is a natural element of the earth's crust.

It is used for various purposes, especially in industry and agriculture.

It also occurs as a byproduct of copper smelting, mining, and coal burning.

Arsenic can cause serious health problems in the long run. According to studies, arsenic can cause bladder, lung and skin, kidney and liver cancers. Research can also cause central and peripheral nervous systems, damage to the heart and blood vessels, serious skin problems, birth defects and reproductive problems.

Short-term adverse effects may include swallowing difficulties, restlessness, nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, tremors, cramps, irritability, and partial paralysis that persists for several weeks.

Arsenic removal methods and yield

Active Alum: Yield 95%

Coagulation/Filtration: Efficiency 95%

Ion exchange: Yield 95%

Softening with lime : Efficiency 90%

Reverse Osmosis: Efficiency 95%

Electrodialysis: Efficiency 85%

Oxidation/filtration: Efficiency 80%

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