ABSTRACT

Problems in Northern China ................................................................................. 143 Acknowledgments ...................................................................................................................... 145 References .................................................................................................................................. 145

Arsenic (As) is a carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic element [1]. Most As compounds are odorless and tasteless and readily dissolve in water. As poisoning can cause skin diseases, cardiovascular, neurological, hematological, renal, and respiratory diseases, as well as lung, bladder, liver, kidney, and prostate cancers [2]. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set a provisional guideline limit of 10 mg/L for As in drinking water [3], which was subsequently adopted by the European Union [4]. United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) lowered the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for As in drinking water from 50 to 10 mg/L, effective in January 2006 [5]. The provisional guideline value for As concentration in drinking water of China has been lowered from 50 to the WHO’s recommendation of 10 mg/L since 2007. In Bangladesh and India, the guideline value for As in drinking water is still 50 mg/L.