What Role Does an Arsenic Filter Play in Your Household?

An arsenic filter works by extracting and eliminating dissolved arsenic from your water supply. Generally, arsenic is a water non-soluble material but it could get easily supplemented with phosphate, the reason why commercial grade phosphate often contains some amount of arsenic poison in it. So, if your water is supplied from near a mining field, metallurgical plant or agricultural area that could have arsenic deposition, having an arsenic filter for your household is a must.

Arsenic is classified as a highly toxic carcinogen that has a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 0.010 mg/l. You should like to know that although drinking water does not have curative power, it is essential for flushing out the toxins from your body. An arsenic filter ensures that you get the purest form of drinking water for the overall health and wellbeing of you and your family members and for the effective prevention of cancer caused by arsenic consumption.

How to go about an arsenic filter?

If you want to get an arsenic filter for your house, you must go through a few tests first to make sure that you indeed need one. Find out whether your drinking water is detected with arsenic concentration. If you are told by an expert that your present filtration system is not good enough or certified for purifying arsenic from your water supply, you should consider buying an arsenic filter that will remove the contaminant before it passes into your tap.

If you consult with the NSF experts, they will explain the organic and inorganic varieties of arsenic, both of which are eliminated successfully by a good arsenic filter. Usually, the organic arsenic compounds are more toxic than the inorganic one.

Before installing an arsenic filter in your water supply line, it must be tested, verified, and certified to do the purification job. This is particularly important if the water supplied to your household is found with MCL more than the normal level. Hence, it is not wise to opt for any arsenic filter that has a tempting low price. The water from your arsenic filter dispenser must contain less than the regulated MCL to make it fit and safe for drinking.

Buy the right type of arsenic filter

When you know for certain that your supply water contains either AS III or AS V compounds of arsenic, you should plan to buy an arsenic filter that has been tested and certified by the NSF for arsenic removal. You could ask the seller of the arsenic filter whether he will provide you with a proof or certificate for certification and testing. A good arsenic filter can reduce dissolved arsenic and other particulate matter down to 0.5 micron.

It can also reduce chlorine, chloramines, taste and odor problems, certain pesticides, cysts, VOCs, trihlomethanes, MTBE and PCBs. You have to pay an approximate amount of $150.00 for getting an arsenic filter. But you must take good care of it by changing the filter cartridge once in a year.