The water comes out of the tap, it has the expected color, it has no smell, and no one suspects anything. But in dozens of Argentine municipalities, that same water carries a contaminant of natural origin that science classifies among the ten most worrying substances for global public health: arsenic. You can’t see it, you can’t smell it, you can’t feel it. Its effects appear years later, when the damage has already been done.
Two recent investigations reinstated the issue with concrete data. The Environment and Health Program of the National University of Rosario analyzed the situation of drinking water affected by arsenic in Argentina and estimated that more than 17 million people – equivalent to one in three Argentines – are exposed to the consumption of water contaminated with this metalloid above the levels established by the World Health Organization. The work, published in the magazine Water and Healthreviewed 569 scientific publications and selected 61 studies from 12 provinces that met strict methodological criteria.
For its part, the Buenos Aires Technological Institute carried out a national survey based on more than 350 water samples and identified the province of Buenos Aires as one of the most compromised territories: 66 Buenos Aires municipalities are located in the yellow or red stripe, with 41 affected party capitals, of which 14 are mostly in high-risk areas.
Among the most affected Buenos Aires municipalities are Tres Arroyos, Balcarce, Junín, Mar de Ajó, Lobos, Navarro, Suipacha, General Las Heras, San Vicente, Cañuelas, Necochea, Mar del Plata, Coronel Suárez, Pehuajó, Olavarría, Azul, Tandil, Ayacucho, 25 de Mayo, La Plata, San Nicolás, Arrecifes and Zárate, among others. The list is extensive and covers both the productive interior and towns in the Conurbano and the Atlantic coast.
The geological problem that the State does not solve
The arsenic present in Argentine groundwater has, in most cases, a natural origin: it comes from the geological composition of the aquifers, the result of millions of years of sedimentation. That does not make it any less dangerous, but it does explain why the problem persists regardless of the level of development of the affected communities. Dr. Alfredo Gallego, biochemist and specialist in chemical sciences and the environment, warned that “exposure to arsenic affects about two-thirds of the population” and pointed out that nitrate constitutes another serious problem, with up to 30% of bottled water presenting levels higher than established limits.
The WHO set the maximum recommended limit for human consumption at 10 micrograms per liter. Argentina adopted this same parameter in its regulations, but the gap between the norm and the reality of the water that reaches millions of homes continues to be wide, especially in localities that depend on underground sources.
HACRE: the disease that no one diagnoses in time
Chronic Regional Endemic Hydroarsenicism (HACRE) is a disease caused by prolonged ingestion of water with arsenic in concentrations higher than recommended. It manifests itself with skin lesions, persistent respiratory problems and, in severe cases, with the development of different types of cancer. What makes it especially difficult to combat is its silent nature: the symptoms usually appear after several years of continuous consumption, which leads to medical consultations being made when the condition is already in an advanced state.
Sustained ingestion of water contaminated with arsenic can lead to lung cancer, laryngeal cancer, chronic or persistent cough, and pulmonary fibrosis. Added to this are congenital malformations and cardiovascular diseases documented in populations with prolonged exposure. The typical victim profile is someone who never knew they were at risk.
What to do: information and certified filtration
The first step is to know. The ITBA developed a national arsenic monitoring map that allows you to consult the estimated levels in different cities and neighborhoods in the country, available free of charge. Hidrolit, an Argentine company with Company B certification, developed a similar platform at hydrolit.com.ar/mapa-del-agua-argentina/, where users can verify if their location is in a risk area and access information on treatment alternatives.
The second step is to act. Among the solutions available for the domestic environment, nanotechnology filtration systems today represent one of the most accessible and effective options: they allow the removal of arsenic, chlorine, sediments and other contaminants without eliminating essential minerals from the water. Hidrolit equipment, for example, is installed in approximately five minutes, has a longer useful life than conventional filters and represents considerable savings compared to the sustained consumption of bottled water, whose quality—as Dr. Gallego pointed out—is not guaranteed either.
The magnitude of the problem exceeds what any single solution can solve: it requires public investment, infrastructure and long-term policies. But while these structural responses arrive, knowing the quality of the water consumed and having a certified filtration system is the difference between exposure and prevention. When it comes to arsenic, what is not known does not stop doing harm.
