Reducing Toxic Levels of Arsenic in Drinking Water

About this episode

UC Berkeley engineers have developed a low-cost arsenic treatment system to improve water safety in low-income communities.

UC Berkeley engineers have created a simple and low-cost new arsenic treatment system to help low-income communities access safer water. In many areas throughout California, the groundwater is tainted with dangerous levels of arsenic, a highly carcinogenic element that can seep into the water table from deposits in the soil and bedrock. While cities and larger municipalities can afford to remove arsenic from their water, many people living in small and rural communities are forced to choose between drinking contaminated tap water or purchasing bottled water — and those with private wells may not even know that their water is unsafe. (Video: Roxanne Makasdjian, Alan Toth, Adam Lau) Series: "UC Berkeley News" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 39226]

Topics covered

• public health
• water safety
• engineering
• environmental science
• community health

Keywords

• arsenic treatment system
• low-income communities
• groundwater contamination
• carcinogenic element
• safe drinking water

Mentioned in this episode

Places: California

More episodes of Public Health (Video)

• The Squiggly Line with Katelyn Jetelina · January 3, 2026 · 41 min
• Public Health: How to Make the Invisible Visible with Katelyn Jetelina · December 15, 2025 · 1h 13m
• That May Be The Chancellor: Episode 14 · November 3, 2025 · 11 min
• Can Science Save California Tomatoes From Invasive Weeds? · September 23, 2024 · 3 min
• Exercise Snacks - Overcoming Barriers · May 3, 2024 · 9 min
• Trustworthy AI in Healthcare: Whose Trust Needs to be Earned and How · April 19, 2024 · 51 min