Reducing Toxic Levels of Arsenic in Drinking Water

UC Berkeley engineers have created a simple and low-cost new arsenic treatment system to help low-income communities access safer water. In many areas throughout California, the groundwater is tainted with dangerous levels of arsenic, a highly carcinogenic element that can seep into the water table from deposits in the soil and bedrock. While cities and larger municipalities can afford to remove arsenic from their water, many people living in small and rural communities are forced to choose between drinking contaminated tap water or purchasing bottled water — and those with private wells may not even know that their water is unsafe. (Video: Roxanne Makasdjian, Alan Toth, Adam Lau) Series: "UC Berkeley News" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 39226]