Private Iowa wells may be at risk for arsenic

IOWA CITY - Arsenic - the deadly poison of choice dating back to the Middle Ages - could be poisoning the water of

private wells in Iowa.

Almost half of the water samples in a statewide survey of 475 wells contained arsenic, with high levels documented in 31 Iowa counties.

“It's not that it's new,” said Peter Weyer, associate director for the University of Iowa Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination. “It's just that we hadn't looked for it before.”

Unlike the arsenic used to expeditiously murder royalty in centuries past, arsenic in drinking water can have slow and insidious effects.

Weyer cited cardiovascular, respiratory and reproductive problems, as well as cancer.

“It may take years and years and years to see that problem,” he said.

Weyer said arsenic, an inorganic chemical, is naturally occurring in Iowa. Arsenic can emit from erosion of mineral deposits, as well as runoff from orchards or from glass and electronics production wastes, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Concentrations are dependent on geologic and chemical factors.

Weyer said well construction is also a factor, with shallow and older wells more prone to contamination than deeper and newer wells.

A statewide survey conducted from 2006 to 2008, however, showed high arsenic levels in both shallow and deep wells. About 8 percent of those contained arsenic concentrations at or above 10 parts per billion, the EPA's drinking water standard for public water supplies.

“There were hits in southeast and southwest Iowa where we didn't expect to see it,” Weyer said.

Highest levels reached 75 to 80 parts per billion. Homeowners at high levels were referred to local health departments.

The EPA notes that skin damage, circulatory problems and increased risk of cancer are potential effects from long-term exposure above the maximum contaminant level.

Those health effects will be among the topics addressed at a conference Wednesday in Des Moines. (details below)

Weyer said geologists and engineers from neighboring states will explain how they have addressed arsenic in water.

Policy considerations, including possibly adding arsenic to water contaminants tested in Iowa, will be discussed.

Russell Tell, senior environmental specialist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, said Iowa is one of many states considering having private well owners perform an arsenic test at least once to determine if treatment is needed.

Experts regularly monitor public drinking water systems, but private well owners are responsible for monitoring their own drinking water quality.

Without a specific test, Weyer said there is no way to know if arsenic is in the water supply.

“You can't taste it; you can't see it,” he said. “There's no indication when you're drinking the water that it's in there.”

Paul VanDorpe, DNR research geologist, said arsenic has been identified in every major aquifer in Iowa.

Research has shown that municipalities may unknowingly remove arsenic along with iron, he said.

Carmily Stone, bureau chief for the Iowa Department of Public Health's environmental health services, said Iowa's Grants to Counties program provides funding for private well testing.

This year's $2 million funding, from a tax on pesticides, provided about $20,000 to each county, she said. That annual funding is often quickly depleted. Funds can go to well water testing; plugging abandoned wells or cisterns and well rehabilitation.

Tests for total coliform bacteria, including E.coli, and nitrate are standard and can be free to Iowa well owners or provided with a cost-share, Stone said.

The State Hygienic Laboratory in Ankeny conducts arsenic tests for $20 each.

Experts there recommend every private well be tested for total coliform and nitrate at least annually.

Stone said residents who encounter water problems should consult their local health department.

“It can be an expensive fix,” she said, especially if an alternative drinking source must be used.

Linn County is the only county in Iowa with a lab to analyze water, though some samples, including arsenic, go through the state lab.

Johnson County well owners are referred to the state lab for a $17 test kit, with the health department providing free assistance.

Linn County charges $10 for bacteria and $10 for nitrate tests.

Heidi Peck, environmental health services manager for Linn County Public Health, said staff can take samples, if needed, for an extra $25.

“It's a low-cost way to make sure you're keeping yourself and your family healthy,” she said.

The public is invited to attend "Arsenic in Iowa's Water Sources" from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9, in the State of Iowa Historical Building, 600 East Locust St., Des Moines.

Sponsors are the Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination, State Hygienic Laboratory, Iowa Department of Public Health and Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Attendance at individual presentations is free. To attend the full conference, register in advance at http://www.uiowa.edu/~confinst/arsenic/registration.html

Fee for the full day is $25, which includes lunch.

Water testing information

For information on water testing, see the State Hygienic Laboratory website: www.shl.uiowa.edu