Quite honestly we do not know if Arsenic Quick Test Kits would test for arsenic in wine for two main reasons:

1) Ingredients in the wine sample may cause a more ‘violent’ bubbling than water and result in the test area on the suspended test pad getting wet. If the test pad gets wet, the test becomes invalid.

2) The sample may contain organically bound arsenic and the test kit cannot detect organically bound arsenic. We suspect that the wines contain organically bound arsenic because as far as we know, it is the free dissolved arsenic that health officials know causes health issues and hopefully someone would have noticed dangerous free arsenic levels in such a highly regulated industry before now.

So why did the tests performed by the labs on those wines come up ‘high’?

Our ‘guess’: During laboratory analysis samples get ‘prepared’ in various manners which break down the bonds between organic matter and contaminants like arsenic so that the contaminants may get detected in their ‘natural’ (i.e. free) state… and quantified.

Does organically bound arsenic pose risks?

We suppose it must in some way, but as of yet we have not read very many articles on the matter and therefore must refrain from rendering an opinion on the matter.

Our advice?

Arsenic is arsenic, and it sounds bad no matter how you slice it. None of us drink a lot of wine, but, should the day come when beer starts showing up with high test results for arsenic, we will choose our beers accordingly. 🙂

Water Test Kit Store carries the Arsenic Quick brand of arsenic testing products which works quite well for detecting levels of free dissolved arsenic in drinking water... but we do not know how well they would work when used to test non-water samples.

Several factors may play a part in determining whether or not the Arsenic Quick Test Kits will work in your suggested application:

• The concentration of arsenic may be too low or too high for the test kit to detect.
• Ingredients in the sample may cause a more 'violent' bubbling than water and result in the test area on the suspended test pad getting wet.  If the pad gets wet, the test becomes invalid.
• The sample may contain organically bound arsenic and the test kit cannot detect organically bound arsenic.

To sum all that up, we do not know if the test kit we carry will work for Orgain or any type of sample other than water (or wood).

Arsenic Quick Test Kit (100 Tests)

Today’s inquiry comes to us from an aspiring environmental scientist who asked a very shrewd question about a product that we believe very strongly in: Arsenic Quick™ test kits for drinking water.

‘Kelley’, contacted us from the Southwestern US and asked, “Recently a local news channel did a story on arsenic in drinking water in our area and it sounded like our water could really have problems. My family and most families where we live all have well water and after asking some neighbors about it none of them or us have a clue about arsenic or testing for arsenic. I found your site via a google search and you talk a lot about arsenic quick. Is that a product that I could use to help my family and neighbors learn if we have a problem with arsenic? If so why do you recommend it more than others on the market?”

Thank you, Kelley, for contacting us about the Arsenic Quick line of arsenic in drinking water test kits. Let us first say that we have USED most of the test kits ourselves and yes, we believe very strongly in their ability to help the average person get a handle on any arsenic concentrations that may lurk in their water supply… and here’s why:

• As we stated, we have used the kits ourselves — successfully and with ease.
   
• The reagents in the kit pose less of an environmental hazard when compared to ingredients included with competing kits on the market.
   
• EPA/ETV Test Verified Chemistry — The chemistry and procedures used by the Arsenic Quick Test Kit has undergone a rigorous review by a division of the EPA and that showed both the chemistry and procedures simple enough for testing personnel of all levels to carry out and obtain accurate, repeatable results.
   
• Please feel free to read through the details contained in both the EPA/ETV Verification Statement and the EPA/ETV Verification Report to see exactly what the EPA said about the Arsenic Quick Test Kit.
   
• Arsenic Quick has a shorter and simpler test time than any other comparable arsenic test kit we have seen on the market.
   
• Users of the Arsenic Quick line of test kits can choose from a number of kits ranging from 2-test versions all the way up to 300-test versions… and also from a range of kits with varying detection ranges designed to look for high levels of arsenic in water or very, very low levels of arsenic in water.
   
• Versions of the Arsenic Quick test have gotten incorporated into Compliance Guidelines for arsenic monitoring in at least two US States which means water systems required to monitor arsenic levels in drinking water may use specific versions of the Arsenic Quick test for reporting purposes.

We truly do not believe you can go wrong with the Arsenic Quick line of test kits, Kelley. We wish you the best with all your arsenic testing and let us know if you have any other questions!

Test Your Tap Water

For those who don’t already know, some people take the production of crystal clear, healthy and refreshing water very seriously. VERY seriously.

Some take it so seriously that they enter their expertly filtered drinking water into competitions and in this case, tap water produced by members of the Atlantic States Rural Water and Wastewater Association competed glass-to-glass for bragging rights, cash rewards and the chance to represent the region in a National competition.

So let’s stop with all the small talk and get right to the drinkin’…. drinkin’ WATER, that is.

WALLINGFORD, Conn. — How does your tap water stack up against the rest of the state? That’s what people at the annual drinking water taste test at the annual meeting of the Atlantic States Rural Water and Wastewater Association wanted to find out on Wednesday.

The water was judged on clarity, bouquet, cleansing properties and aftertaste.

…

Three judges blind-tested water from 12 water systems, six from chlorinated systems and six that were natural, in the state putting a lot of thought and tasting into each entry.

Scores were tabulated and winners were declared. The winner from the chlorinated category came from Sprague.

More testing, more tasting and more numbers later, the system from the Chatham Acres Senior Housing in East Hampton won in the natural filters division.

Then the two winners went head to head, or lip to lip and sip by sip.

“The winner had a little bit of a slight minerally taste,” said Ed Bailey, of Middlefield. “It almost seemed natural, whereas the other one had a soft taste to it.”

With the tension mounting an overall winner was declared — La Framboise Water Services, which handles the water at Chatham Acres. ( source )

So there you have it. Water testing of a far less technical nature, yet still a very important process since ‘chemically safe’ water tasting like raw sewage won’t get consumed by the average person.

Clean tasting water has zero contaminants, right?

Not by a long shot! Many very dangerous contaminants have no discernible taste or odor to them at levels potentially harmful to humans, pets, livestock, etc. Example: Bacteria in water.

Other contaminants may exist in water at levels low enough to escape detection, yet exposure to them over a prolonged period of time may result in serious harm to a person. Example: Arsenic in water.

Not us, but folks in the San Gabriel Valley region of California have something to think about… unfortunately.

The San Gabriel Mountains may be an unlikely site for a U.S. Navy torpedo lab, but 17,000 cubic yards of soil contaminated by torpedo tests is going to be hauled away from a lake in a canyon above Azusa, according to reports.

The Navy tested torpedo engines and shapes in the lake behind Morris Dam beginning in World War II. After 50 years, it closed the facility but left behind bad chemical residue.

Perchlorates, a cancer-causing type of rocket propellant, arsenic and other dangerous compounds coat rocks on the 20-acre test site on a peninsula in the lake, which is a domestic drinking water supply for the San Gabriel Valley. ( source )

Yeah… Not too many people will ever have to deal with the residuals of torpedo testing winding up in their drinking water supply, but plenty of other folks — whether they know it or not — really ought to keep a close watch on the quality of their drinking water.

Sneaky contaminants like arsenic, which occurs naturally in the environment, can show up in well water unannounced. Something as simple as a change in the weather can result in increased arsenic levels in well water. Therefore owners of wells owe it to themselves and everyone their wells serve to test for arsenic on a regular basis.

Most health officials suggest that private well owners have a thorough water quality analysis performed at least once a year by a certified water testing laboratory. Whether done by a local lab or a company like National Testing Labs, owners of private wells owe it to themselves and their families to have their water tested on a regular basis.

Toxic chemicals and heavy metals are collecting in the tissue of fish and the sediment beneath the water of Mountain Island Lake, according to a new study out this week.

A recent independent study by the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation determined that drinking water supplied by the lake is safe but the fish and sediment from the lake contains high levels of unacceptable industrial matter, according to David Merryman, Catawba Riverkeeper.

“I think from these results we should at least evaluate our fish consumption for PCBs, and that’s something I’ll be calling for,” said Merryman.

…

A PCB concentration of 70.7 parts per billion was found in largemouth bass that were tested. That is more than 20 points higher than levels considered safe by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said Merryman.

Mountain Island Lake provides water to Gastonia, Mount Holly and several other municipalities and is also a popular fishing spot for anglers in the area.

Samples of fish also showed signs of barium, mercury and selenium.

…

Any advisories about the consumption of fish would have to come from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

…

The water in Mountain Island Lake proved to be free of PCBs but did include arsenic and barium. Sediment contained arsenic, barium, lead, selenium and mercury. These elements may not surpass acceptable levels, but they are alarming to Merryman.

“This is important. This is the water we drink. It’s where we swim,” he said.

Many of the chemicals detected during the independent test come from the neighboring coal-ash ponds operated by area power plants, according to Merryman.

While the coal-ash ponds are independent of Mountain Island Lake, water is skimmed off the top of the ponds regularly and dumped into the lake.

“Those coal-ash ponds are a source of heavy metals to that lake that a million and a half of us depend on to drink, to cook and wash our clothes,” said Merryman. “We really shouldn’t let industry pump heavy metals into a lake that we depend on.”

Duke Energy is allowed to discharge into the river system under a permit.

…

The Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation contracted with Pace Analytical Laboratories in Huntersville to conduct the tests on Mountain Island Lake.
( source )

We will post more information about the water quality in Mountain Island Lake as we learn it. For now, though, please take a look at the test kits below, as they will work for testing lake water, tap water and well water for potentially hazardous levels of metals in water.

We would like to note, though, that unlike in other situations we have heard about where companies/municipalities either deny or try to pass the blame for high arsenic readings, Aqua Pennsylvania appears to have stepped up to the plate and accepted responsibility for correcting the problem.

HONESDALE, PA — Residents of Honesdale were alarmed when a long article that appeared on the front page of The New York Times on Thursday, December 17 cited the high, illegal levels of arsenic in Honesdale’s drinking water.

The Honesdale water company, Aqua Pennsylvania, was not mentioned in the article itself but was cited on a map of the nation as one of 12 locations that had these unaccepted levels of the dangerous chemical, which can cause cancer. More information that repeated the arsenic levels and six other contaminants that were within legal limits were contained at a link on the Times’ website, www.nytimes.com/water

“The state changed the national chemical level for arsenic about 10 years ago, lowering it and making it stricter,” said Steve E. Clark, Honesdale manager of Aqua Pennsylvania.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lowered the legal level of arsenic from 50 parts per billion (ppb) to 10 ppb 10 years ago, making it much stricter and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) now enforces this standard in the state, according to Mark Carmon, DEP spokesman.

Aqua Pennsylvania took over the original Honesdale Water Company last October and has plans to correct the arsenic problem, Clark said.

“The poor levels of arsenic are limited to only one well—the Quarry Well at the top of Brown Street,” he said. “The contamination is occurring naturally and is not the result of any manufacturing or industrial activity.”

According to the Times article, the legal standard for contamination of arsenic set by the Safe Drinking Water Act revealed that the level in Honesdale is around 16 ppb.

“We are in the middle of a construction project for an arsenic treatment plant for that well,” Clark said. Carmon confirmed that the DEP had issued a permit for Aqua to do the work.

The Quarry Well serves about 200 people, he said.

“When we tested the raw water at the well, it was slightly higher than the legal level,” he said. “When we tested the water at the first house that it serves, it was way under.”

Clark said that his staff analysts have evidence that the contamination is caused by things like tree stumps.

Construction of the treatment plant has already begun and should be completed in a few months. ( source )

Since arsenic occurs naturally in the environment, pretty much any ground water can become tainted with arsenic. Periods of heavy rain, periods of drought, earthquakes, volcanic activity, and a host of other natural phenomenon can all result in increased arsenic concentrations in ground water.

For the longest time testing for arsenic in drinking water, or any type of water for that matter, required the use of specialized equipment and somewhat hazardous chemicals as well as a bit of training in a laboratory setting.

The Arsenic Quick™ line of arsenic test kits greatly simplified the arsenic testing process by cutting the number of reagents down to three, using much safer reagents, drastically shortening test times, and removing the need for special glassware and equipment.

Whether you work in a water treatment facility and need to perform regular testing or own a private well and want to make sure the arsenic levels in your drinking water have not risen above the current USEPA Maximum Contaminant Level of 10ppb (parts per billion), definitely take a look at the Arsenic Quick™ test kits.

EPA/ETV Test Verified performance, test times as short as 12 minutes, the safest reagents possible (zinc powder, a food grade acid, monopersulfate), simple test procedures, and the fact that everything a person needs to perform on-the-spot arsenic in water testing comes in a convenient carrying case make Arsenic Quick™ the obvious choice.

According to the article, residents in the area have a particular interest in finding out if the arsenic levels in their drinking water falls within acceptable Federal guidelines. Apparently local arsenic levels had typically come in around 10ppb to 12ppb and although fine when the EPA deemed arsenic levels below 50ppb acceptable, the EPA’s lowering of the acceptable limit for arsenic in drinking water to 10ppb a few years ago meant some local water systems needed to install remediation devices in order to pass muster.

Now residents want to know if those arsenic removal devices work as planned and ultimately they want to know if they have ‘safe’ water to drink.

MIDLAND, BAY CITY, FLINT, HOWELL — The concerns have been everywhere when it comes to water quality. How clean is the water you cook with and drink? Residents along the Saginaw Bay have long been concerned that river dredging might stir up sediment, leading to water contamination. Over the last five years, Genesee County residents have been concerned over high arsenic levels. One way or another, water quality affects your life.

Most drinking water goes through some form of treatment by the time it reaches your faucet. However, changes in allowable arsenic levels through the years, and the potential for other elements to go undetected led us to see what may be in your drinking water.

NBC25 collected samples from a range of MidMichigan areas including Bay City, Midland and Flint. We took those samples to Water Tech Inc. in Howell to see what you may be putting in your body. ( source )

Unfortunately for us, the news station required its web site visitors to ‘tune in tonight’ for the results of the arsenic testing… and we don’t live in Michigan so we cannot tune in as they suggested. We can, however, make suggestions as to how homeowners can perform simple, at-home testing for arsenic in their drinking water. Keep in mind, though, that no at-home test kit for arsenic should ever take the place water analysis by a certified water testing laboratory.

Arsenic in Water Test Kit 0, 0.010, 0.025, 0.050, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, 1.0 ppb/cm² (IT-487928) Perform 300 Tests, Results in 12 Minutes	IT-487928
Arsenic in Water Test Kit 0, 0.3, 0.7, 1.0, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 13, 20 & >20 ppb (481300-5) Perform 5 Tests, Results in 12 Minutes	481300-5
Arsenic in Water Test Kit 0, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 & >500 ppb (481396-2) Perform 2 Tests, Results in 12 Minutes	481396-2
Arsenic in Water Test Kit 0, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 & >500 ppb (481396-5) Perform 5 Tests, Results in 12 Minutes	481396-5
Arsenic in Water Test Kit <1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 13, 20, 25, 30, 40, >50, >80, >120, >160 ppb (481303) Perform 50 Tests, Results in 14 Minutes	481303
Arsenic in Water Test Kit <1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 13, 20, 25, 30, 40, >50, >80, >120, >160 ppb (481303-5) Perform 5 Tests, Results in 14 Minutes	481303-5
Arsenic in Water Test Kit <2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 18, 24, 30, 40, 45 & >50 ppb (481297-2) Perform 2 Tests, Results in 12 Minutes	481297-2
Arsenic in Water Test Kit <2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 18, 24, 30, 40, 45 & >50 ppb (481297-I) Perform 50 Tests, Results in 12 Minutes	481297-I

While not the most in-depth article we have ever seen on the topic of arsenic in drinking water, it does hit a lot of high points and cover a lot of important material in a succinct manner.

There may be something lurking in your drinking water that you can’t see, smell or taste and scientists say it could cause diabetes.

The potential danger is arsenic, a metal that naturally occurs in rocks, soil, plants and animals.

Dr. Miroslav Styblo, an associate nutrition professor at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, spoke to a group Thursday at Catawba College’s Center for the Environment on the link between arsenic and diabetes.

Styblo, a toxicologist, has been conducting studies in Mexico on whether arsenic in drinking water could be a cause of diabetes.

Exposure to high levels of arsenic in drinking water has been linked to various cancers, including liver and lung, he said. ( source )

For people interested in testing their drinking water for arsenic, we suggest using one of the Arsenic Quick Test Kits. Below we have listed some of their smaller, more affordable field arsenic test kits.

Arsenic in Water Test Kit <1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 13, 20, 25, 30, 40, >50, >80, >120, >160 ppb (481303-5) Perform 5 Tests, Results in 14 Minutes	481303-5
Arsenic in Water Test Kit 0, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 & >500 ppb (481396-5) Perform 5 Tests, Results in 12 Minutes	481396-5
Arsenic in Water Test Kit 0, 0.3, 0.7, 1.0, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 13, 20 & >20 ppb (481300-5) Perform 5 Tests, Results in 12 Minutes	481300-5
Arsenic in Water Test Kit 0, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 & >500 ppb (481396-2) Perform 2 Tests, Results in 12 Minutes	481396-2

More on Arsenic and Testing for Arsenic:

• Arsenic in Upstate NY Wells
• Testing Arsenic in Salt/Brackish Water
• Arsenic Exposure Linked to Lower Influenza Resistance
• Testing for Arsenic in Wood and on Playgrounds
• Possible Link Between Arsenic Exposure and Diabetes

As an example,

Newdale is facing drinking water quality issues because of arsenic and fluoride levels in the water supply that do not meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency water quality standards.

…

Testing over the past several years showed average arsenic levels at 10.8 parts per billion, and the level has been as high as 15 parts per billion.

The city’s level of fluoride in the water supply has consistently averaged about 4.8 parts per million over the last several years.

The state DEQ has ranked Newdale as the first priority in the state for drinking water improvements. ( source )

Efforts to remedy the solution have begun in Newdale and many other areas but the fact remains that many people still consume levels of fluoride and arsenic considered dangerous by health officials.

People living in smaller communities served by older water systems and well ought to consider testing their water periodically for things such as bacteria, arsenic and other critical water parameters. Smaller towns have smaller budgets and remediation for arsenic costs a lot of money. Sometimes a lot more money than a small town can afford.

Thankfully, though, State and Federal agencies across the country have recognized smaller communities’ needs for assistance when it comes to cleaning up their drinking water and made funding available for that purpose.

To take advantage of an offer of loan money from the state of Idaho with federal stimulus funds, the Newdale City Council voted on June 24 to see if the project could be approved through judicial confirmation, a quicker process than a bond election.

…

In his finding of fact and conclusions of law Moeller wrote: “The Idaho Supreme Court has held that the impact of a proposed expenditure on public safety is fundamental to the determination of whether a project is necessary. … If the expense is necessary to protect the health and safety of the inhabitants of the municipality, it is both ‘ordinary and necessary.'” ( source )

As usual, we suggest that anyone suspecting life-threatening drinking water contamination have their water tested by a certifed water testing laboratory. For routine testing, though, one can use at-home drinking water test kits such as the Water Quality Test Kit or the WaterSafe All-In-One Test Kit.

For people interested in testing their drinking water for arsenic, we suggest using one of the Arsenic Quick Test Kits. Below we have listed some of their smaller, more affordable field arsenic test kits.

Arsenic in Water Test Kit <1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 13, 20, 25, 30, 40, >50, >80, >120, >160 ppb (481303-5) Perform 5 Tests, Results in 14 Minutes	481303-5
Arsenic in Water Test Kit 0, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 & >500 ppb (481396-5) Perform 5 Tests, Results in 12 Minutes	481396-5
Arsenic in Water Test Kit 0, 0.3, 0.7, 1.0, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 13, 20 & >20 ppb (481300-5) Perform 5 Tests, Results in 12 Minutes	481300-5
Arsenic in Water Test Kit 0, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 & >500 ppb (481396-2) Perform 2 Tests, Results in 12 Minutes	481396-2

More on Arsenic and Testing for Arsenic:

• Arsenic in Upstate NY Wells
• Testing Arsenic in Salt/Brackish Water
• Arsenic Exposure Linked to Lower Influenza Resistance
• Testing for Arsenic in Wood and on Playgrounds
• Possible Link Between Arsenic Exposure and Diabetes

More on Fluoride and Fluoride Testing:

• Fluoride Exposure Linked to Sperm Damage
• Removing Fluoride From Drinking Water
• Why Test for Fluoride in Drinking Water
• Fluoride in Drinking Water Facts
• Filters to Remove Fluoride From Drinking Water