New Product Enables Affordable Removal of Arsenic from Drinking Water
Apyron Technologies Inc., a developer of advanced materials, announced the availability of Aqua-Bind MP cartridges. This new product contains an active adsorptive media housed in a disposable cartridge that removes the most common form of arsenic from drinking water. The media was designed by Apyron using the Company’s patented Advanced Materials Synthesis Technology.
As the debate over what level of arsenic is safe for drinking water heats up in the nation’s capitol, consumer demand for an affordable solution is rapidly rising. In fact, according to the 2001 National Consumer Water Quality Survey, 9 out of 10 Americans have concerns about the quality of their tap water with 65% of respondents indicating that they would pay for a home water treatment device to reduce arsenic if it were present in their drinking water. Apyron’s Aqua-Bind MP cartridge system is designed specifically for consumers who want to treat their drinking water at the faucet or for the whole house. Consumers can purchase the Apyron units through authorized water treatment dealers and distributors.
"We are very pleased to offer Aqua-Bind MP cartridges to consumers and to our dealer and distributor partners," says Rom Papadopoulos, chief executive officer for Apyron. "This system can be easily attached under a household kitchen sink, effectively removing dangerous levels of arsenic to protect families nationwide."
Product Use
Apyron designed Aqua-Bind MP specifically for Point-of-Use (faucet application) and Point-of-Entry (where water enters a home) drinking water applications. The technology is already at work in over 35 states in the U.S. and is a similar technology to that used in Apyron’s system in India and Bangladesh where arsenic levels reach as high as 3500 parts per billion (ppb), approximately 350 times greater than the proposed U.S. standard of 10 ppb.
Aqua-Bind MP cartridges are designed to treat drinking water with arsenic levels up to 300 ppb, bringing it down to less than 10 ppb as recommended by the World Health Organization. The cartridges are easy to install for either under-the-counter or basement installations and are ideal as post treatment to whole-household water softeners.
"Apyron’s Aqua-Bind MP arsenic removal cartridge is the most effective and economical solution on the market today. The product’s ability to remove high levels of arsenic in a wide range of water profiles without severely restricting the flow rate of the water gives it an enormous advantage over other arsenic treatment systems currently on the market," says Tom Mitchell of Redlon & Johnson, a water treatment distributor with locations throughout the Northeast.
Widespread Need for Arsenic Removal
Based on data provided by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) estimates that as many as 56 million people in the US are drinking water with arsenic at unsafe levels. US citizens living in New England, and the western regions of the country – especially Arizona, California, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Wisconsin, and Michigan – are the most affected.
Arsenic is a known carcinogen. According to the National Academy of Sciences, one out of every 1000 individuals who regularly drinks water that contains 50 ppb of arsenic will get cancer. Studies have indicated that children are at a much greater risk than adults.
In addition to cancer, recent studies also indicate that long-term exposure to arsenic can result in an increased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and hormone functions regulating a wide range of biological processes. Scientists also have found that arsenic can pass through the placenta, potentially presenting reproductive or developmental risks in humans.
In January 2001, after many years of study, the EPA lowered the recommended standard for arsenic in US drinking water from 50 ppb to 10 ppb, the World Health Organization’s recommended standard. However, in March 2001, the previous standard (50 ppb) was reinstated, due primarily to concerns that lowering the standard would prove to be too costly.
Benefits to Consumer
With the introduction of the Aqua-Bind MP cartridges, Apyron proves that arsenic removal does not need to be a costly process.
"Our technology can cost anywhere from 50-75% less than other technologies, " says Papadopoulos. "Such a low cost option affords every family the ability to protect against being poisoned by their own water supply."
Apyron’s system will reduce other unwanted contaminants such as lead, zinc, and copper using one simple cartridge, providing added protection as well as minimizing space requirements.
Aqua-Bind MP cartridges are easy to install and to dispose of safely. One cartridge lasts approximately 3-6 months, lowering arsenic levels to less than 10 ppb.
Apyron’s system imparts no unpleasant odor or taste.
Why Aqua-Bind MP Cartridges?
Apyron’s system removes over 95% of the arsenic in drinking water.
Aqua-Bind MP media does not promote the growth of microorganisms. Other treatment technologies often promote microbial growth within the treatment system, resulting in higher bacteria counts in treated water than in the original tap water.
Conventional technologies only remove the pentavalent form of arsenic. This fall, Apyron will announce the availability of an advanced Aqua-Bind media to remove both the trivalent and pentavalent forms of arsenic. The trivalent form is the more toxic form of the carcinogen, and is primarily found in unchlorinated water.
Both the cartridge components and the Aqua-Bind MP media are NSF/ANSI listed products, which certifies that the materials comply with the standards for drinking water.
Availability
Aqua-Bind MP arsenic-removal cartridges are currently available in standard 2.5 x 10-inch, 4.5 x 10-inch and 4.5 x 20-inch configurations and are designed to fit in standard universally available pressure-rated housings.
Apyron’s arsenic test kit, detecting total arsenic levels from 5 ppb up to 800 ppb is also currently available in 100 test strip quantities.
Consumers can contact Apyron Technologies at 888-734-6292 to order a test kit and obtain a list of authorized dealers and distributors in their area.