New Research Ties
Arsenic in Drinking Water to Tumor Growth
August 10, 2005
A recent study on the effects of environmental arsenic at the
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center indicates that
arsenic in drinking water can both stimulate the growth of
cancerous tumors and cause them to spread faster.
While researchers still do not know whether arsenic in
drinking water increases the overall incidence of tumors, the
study shows that arsenic levels as low as 4 ppb can stimulate
blood vessel growth, and levels as low as 10 ppb cause tumors to
expand. Many previous studies have linked arsenic ingestion and
cancer—especially skin and bladder cancers.
This report comes at a time when water systems across the
United States are struggling to conform to a new current federal
arsenic standard of 10 ppb by Jan. 23, 2006. The previous
standard had been 50 ppb. In the state of Oklahoma alone, it
will cost between $55 billion and $163 billion to replace or
upgrade the 25 systems to address the lower arsenic standard.
When water containing arsenic is ingested, the arsenic reacts
with oxygen to create free radicals—highly reactive
molecules—that stimulate the growth of blood vessels. More blood
vessels result in an increase in blood supply to any tumors,
which then grow faster and larger.
Some scientists have suggested that even the new standard of
10 ppb is too high, and California considered setting the cap at
4 ppb. Existing, proven POU/POE home products (point of
use/point of entry) can reduce arsenic levels in water to below
4 ppb.
For Arsenic (+3) Water Quality Association (WQA) recommends
treatment with: Chemical Oxidation/Disinfection followed by
Arsenic (+5) treatment technologies.
For Arsenic (+5), water can be treated with:
-Iron-based or iron doped arsenic treatment media;
-Anion Exchange;
-Activated Alumina;
-Reverse Osmosis;
-Distillation;
-Electrodialysis; and
-Other specialty media for arsenic treatment.
For Arsenic (organic complexed) treat water with carbon
filtration.
Not all parts of the country have naturally occurring arsenic
in the water. Consumers should check with a water treatment
specialist and/or their municipal water system operators or
county extension office. WQA urges those on private wells to
have their water tested for arsenic and other possible
contaminants.
Source: Water Quality Association
August 10, 2005 |