Stealthy Toxin in Our Drinking Water

Arsenic is the toxin and even though I couldn't put my finger on a report that would tell me just how much there is in St. Marys’ water despite scouring the city website, it is everywhere and where there are higher concentrations its worse. My grandson in Cocoa Beach got me thinking about blogging on this. When I started to make my oatmeal with tap water he said, “Don’t you want to use this clean water (from the fridge)?” Because levels of arsenic build up in our bodies over time this is something to consider. Some arsenic in the water is considered a safe level (like alcohol must reach a certain level in your bloodstream in order for you to become legally intoxicated). Yet ingesting arsenic, a naturally occurring metal (found in greater amounts in groundwater in different areas), can lead to serious problems like heart disease, cancer, and reproductive problems over time. This is a bigger problem in developing countries where testing for and eliminating arsenic from the drinking water isn't a high priority. There is a new technology that can help that aims to filter out the arsenic and lock it up in concrete because it doesn't make the concrete dangerous and a lot of concrete is used in developing countries for roads. With this new technology water is pumped into a container fitted with steel plates. A small amount of voltage runs through the plates making them rust more quickly and the arsenic binds chemically with the rust as it forms and falls to the bottom of the tank. It is collected as a rusty sludge and the treated water is pumped out. A prototype of this system is being created for use in parts of California where arsenic levels are high. I knew there was a reason for my dislike for drinking water straight from the tap.