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Arsenic in Drinking Water - Location: Eastern Europe

The toxicity and carcinogenicity of arsenic is well known for decades and many epidemiological studies have confirmed the connection between arsenic presence in drinking water and the occurrence of various types of cancer, skin lesions, blackfoot disease, peripheral vascular diseases and Diabetes Mellitus (Type 2). Arsenic occurs naturally in rocks and soil and many studies confirmed that the reducing conditions, dissolution of Fe oxides, desorption of As from Fe oxides and clay minerals are the mail mechanisms that cause arsenic mobilization and occurrence in groundwater. During the past decade, several studies were conduced in order to investigate occurrence of arsenic in groundwater in the area of Pannonian Basin since the preliminary analyses during 2000s revealed the similarity in the groundwater composition i.e. occurrence of high concentrations of iron, manganese, natural organic matter and arsenic. Studies shown that arsenic concentrations in water samples obtained from over hundred aquafers in the area, exceed 200 ppb, and since the groundwater is the main source of drinking water in the area od Pannonian Basin, estimates suggest that nearly 1 million people are exposed to arsenic in drinking waters at levels above the 10 μg/L WHO, EU and USA standards. This seminar will provide a closer look at the arsenic distribution and concentration in groundwaters of the Eastern Europe. The techniques used for its removal during the drinking water treatment will also be described.

arsenic, drinking water, eastern Europe, Pannonian Basin, Croatioa

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