Arsenic is an element found in nature, in minerals, in rocks and which can enter the air, water and soil.

The presence of arsenic in mineral waters has been regulated, over the years, by many legislative provisions.

Arsenic is considered a human carcinogen and a natural contaminant of groundwater.

For this reason it was established that (1):

• water is not a commercial product like any other but, rather, a heritage which must be protected, defended and treated as such
• arsenic (and its compounds) it is one of the main water pollutants

In particular, as regards the natural mineral waters in its state at source, they may undergo treatments for the removal of arsenic by separation  with ozone-enriched air (2).

USA. The federal limit for arsenic in bottled water is 10 parts per billion. The methods are those published in the latest edition of the American Public Health Association's "Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater". However in the United States, up to 14% of the population depends on private wells as a primary source of drinking water. The US government does not regulate contaminants in private wells (5).

EUROPE. The maximum limit of the concentration of arsenic present in mineral waters, set by the European Community regulation, is 10 micrograms/liter (3). Exceeding this maximum limit may present a health risk.

The most recent studies

Epidemiological studies have shown that intake of drinking water with high levels of arsenic (>100μg/L) is associated with risk for cardiovascular diseases (5).

Based on the relevant epidemiological studies with individual-level data, a threshold level for inorganic arsenic in the drinking water for these cancers is estimated to be around 100µg/L, with strong evidence that it is between 50 and 150µg/L, consistent with the value calculated based on mechanistic, in vitro and in vivo investigations (6).

Older people between the ages of 75 and 80 have been particularly vulnerable to the risk of cancer caused by arsenic (7).

Other studies on arsenic for further information.

References______________________________________

(1) Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy Official Journal L 327 , 22/12/2000 P. 0001 - 0073
(2) Directive 2009/54/EC of the european parliamentand off the council of 18 June 2009 on the exploitation and marketing of natural mineral waters
(3) Council Directive 98/83/EC of 3 November 1998 on the quality of water intended for human consumption Official Journal L 330 , 05/12/1998 P. 0032 - 0054
(4) Low-level arsenic in drinking water and risk of incident myocardial infarction: A cohort study. Monrad M, Ersbøll AK, Sørensen M, Baastrup R, Hansen B, Gammelmark A, Tjønneland A, Overvad K, Raaschou-Nielsen O Environ Res. 2017 Apr;154:318-324. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2017.01.028. Epub 2017 Jan 31.
(5) Dose-response for assessing the cancer risk of inorganic arsenic in drinking water: the scientific basis for use of a threshold approach. Tsuji JS, Chang ET, Gentry PR, Clewell HJ, Boffetta P, Cohen SM. Crit Rev Toxicol. 2019 Apr 1:1-49. doi: 10.1080/10408444.2019.1573804.
(7) Estimating and comparing the cancer risks from THMs and low-level arsenic in drinking water based on disability-adjusted life years.  Zhang H, Chang S, Wang L, Wang W.  Water Res. 2018 Nov 15;145:83-93. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2018.08.012.