Arsenic naturally occurs in the environment as an odorless, tasteless, semi-metal element. It can get into drinking water supplies drawn from groundwater that contains arsenic from natural deposits in the earth or from agricultural and industrial practices.

Arsenic has been linked to cancer of the bladder, lungs, skin, kidney, nasal passages, liver, and prostate. Non-cancer effects can include thickening and discoloration of the skin, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting; diarrhea; numbness in hands and feet; partial paralysis; and blindness.

To protect an estimated 13 million Americans, the U.S. EPA lowered the acceptable limit for arsenic from 50 ppb (parts per billion) to 10 ppb, and arsenic water filtration applications had to comply with the new arsenic removal standards in January 2006.
 
Siemens offers a Potable Ion Exchange (PIX) arsenic water filtration applications. PIX utilizes ion exchange resin canisters for the removal of organic and inorganic contaminants, in surface and groundwater sources to meet drinking water standards. Each filtration application is examined to determine the configuration that best meets current and future needs. The components are selected based upon available manpower, space limitations, access limitation and the specific quality required. If needs change, our arsenic water filtration systems are flexible – we can simply change the media types and/or tank size, thereby saving our customers significant capital expense and eliminating the downtime associated with new equipment construction and installation.

Siemens offers a number of solutions, including granular ferric hydroxide, to help communities meet the arsenic removal guidelines.

Arsenic Water Filtration Technologies:
Aeration
Conventional Filtration 
Ion Exchange
Membrane Filtration and Separation
Separation and Clarification

Siemens also provides pilot treatment systems and analytical testing to document the efficacy of treatment prior to installation.
Municipal Drinking Water Treatment Solutions

Arsenic Water Filtration Brainshark Presentation

Tax-Exempt Leasing for Arsenic Removal with GFH