Arsenic in water!!

[Hillsvale]

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I'm on the South Rawdon Rd, Grey house with the "turret rooms" ... just bought it end of August and love it there ... we are very close to the Lietash Canine people, Bob has heritage breeds, pigs, sheep and chickens... he is going to supply us with our critters in the spring.

Goodness.... lively bunch here today.

 

[SC_Hugh]

Ok, Water Quality Chemist signing in here

(20 years experience)

As I see it, you stated 30 parts As in 1,000,000,000 that means 30 ppb (ug/L) = 0.030 ppm (mg/L) As. To put this into perspective, you or a chicken would have to drink an entire liter of this water to consume 30ug (micrograms) of Arsenic. Drink 2 liters of this water and you will consume 60ug.

If you install a reverse osmosis filter in your kitchen, it should remove about 90% of the arsenic and also all other minerals and metals. Safe for you and your chickens. No need to buy a whole house filter system. Kitchen sink is the best place to install the filter, then you can stop drinking bottled water too.

A typical system: check Consumer Reports for their latest Water Filter issue. Always investigate how expensive the replacement filters will be, Amazon also sells good deals on replacement filters and systems too. http://www.amazon.com/Watts-WP5-50-Five-Stage-Manifold-Treatment/dp/B000E77I04/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1257921454&sr=8-1

Let me know if you have other questions,

--Hugh

 

[irf1983]

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Thanks very much, that is definitely helpful. How likely is it that this could be an erroneous test? I only ask because none of our neighbors have tested this high in the past. We also have a small stream in our back yard, would you consider it unhealthy for children to play in if the water quality is as such. we are considering a whole house filter anyways, as we have very high iron, any recommendations? Thanks again!

 

[jerseygirl1]

SC_Hugh, you are awesome!!!!!!!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

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Perhaps instead of getting on your high horse about Kooshie's reply - you should have put that information in your first post. If you want a decent answer you have to ask a decent question. It is a bad idea to assume that people will know how to answer parts of your question that were withheld.

Doesn't excuse being rude. Thanks though.

I don't think Kooshie's post was rude, especially lacking the specific background information your 2nd post contained.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Also, arsenic used to be added to chicken feeds as it initially helps put on weight. I have no idea of the amount of arsenic, though.

 

[SC_Hugh]

Analyzing metals in drinking water is easy and accurate, I wouldn't suspect a bad result. The sample that you collected was a grab sample (one snapshot in time). Did you say that your County does free As testing? Have them do it again. Then also have them test the performance of your RO water too.

RO filters should filter about 90% of all minerals and metals (including high iron), Arsenic is a heavy metal and should be considered a health concern. Iron is not a heavy metal and only regulated as an aesthetic standard of 300ppb, but usually not a health issue, many of us use iron skillets for cooking.

Your backyard stream should be fine as long as the kids don't put their heads underwater, they don't have any open cuts on their skin and they wash their hands well before eating. My kids used to swim in our nearby river that usually has a pretty high E. Coli counts, but following the rules above, they never got sick. BUT if your kids are young and might sneak a drink or splash water into each others faces/mouths, then you better supervise or keep the young ones out. You could have it tested for bacteria, a quantitative test for Total Coliform and E. Coli, also known as enumeration.

Check out Consumer Reports at your local library, they usually have past issues to read for free. CR has the best advice on which units to buy and rate their performance side by side. Internet reviews are free, so who knows who is paying for those comparisons.

Good luck,

Hugh

Arsenic standard was set in 1977 with a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 50ppb and recently in 2008 reduced to 10ppb and notice that iron is not on this Primary MCL list:
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic/drinkingwater/Documents/DWdocuments/EPAandCDPH-11-28-2008.pdf

Secondardry list of contaminants has iron at 300ppb and zinc at 5000ppb (aesthetic standards, not health standards)
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic/drin...lyadoptedregulations/R-21-03-finalregtext.pdf

 

[SC_Hugh]

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Thank you for your kind words

 

[cw]

please remember that a filter placed on a fahcet may also remove anything the water company (city or who ever treats the water)adds to be beneficial
such as flouride,


I am sure the water plant who sent you the consumer confidence report would be in complience if not, there would be a boil water advisory in place
if the water was not safe you would know

 

[Cetawin]

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Thank you, I especially appreciate the lack of condescension you showed in answering a legitimate question. Our high concentration of arsenic is just under 30 parts arsenic for every 1,000,000,000 parts water. So being that the ratio of arsenic is just the slightest sliver of a fraction of our water supply, and that many natural wells in rural areas contain higher levels of arsenic, I apparently stupidly assumed that other people may have experience with this situation. Kudos to you though for patronizing a stranger, it's people like you that make this site so valuable. If anyone has something productive to add I would appreciate some input. We live in a relatively large poultry farming area, I can't imagine all of their chickens are getting Zephyrhills.

It might help to give more information in the initial post, as you have here, to avoid some of the replies you have received and/or will receive. It would be like me saying...

I found a baby fox in my chicken coop...can I keep him there? instead of saying "I found a injured weak baby fox in my coop"

If it is safe for you to drink, then by all means let the chickens have it. If you will not drink it, do not make them.