Arsenic Toxicity and Arsenic Poisoning
Arsenic is absorbed from drinking and eating food cooked in
contaminated water and through the skin.
- Sources of Arsenic Poisoning
Sources of Arsenic Poisoning - Envioronmental, occupational, household and medical sources of arsenic.
- Arsenic Poisoning Symptoms
Arsenic poisoning symptoms, sources and actions in the body.
- Arsenic Contamination Map
Arsenic Contamination U.S. Map provided by the U.S.G.S. Arsenic / arsenic contamination / groundwater arsenic / arsenic soil arsenic / water arsenic poisoning /
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) potential side effects of low dose long term exposure to Arsenic include:
Nausea
|
Vomiting
|
Stomach pain
|
Diarrhea
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Kidney damage
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Diabetes
|
Liver
damage
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Abnormal heart
rhythm
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Birth defects
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Spontaneous
abortions
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Cardiovascular
disease
|
Reproductive
problems
|
Darkening of the skin
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Lower IQ levels in children
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Partial
paralysis
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Blindness
|
Low platelet count
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Numbness of
hands and feet
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Damage to blood vessels
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Decreased red
blood cell count
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Decreased white
blood cell count
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“corns” or
“warts” on the palms, soles and torso
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Sensation of
pins and needles in hands and feet (neuropathy)
|
Thickening,
redness, itching, rash or swelling of the skin
|
Long term arsenic toxicity
and arsenic poisoning increases the risk of several cancers including:
Skin
cancer
|
Lung
cancer
|
Liver
cancer
|
Bladder
cancer
|
Kidney
cancer
|
Nasal passage
cancer
|
Prostate
cancer
|
|
|
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), International Agency for Research on
Cancer (IARC) and the EPA have determined that inorganic arsenic toxicity is a known human
carcinogen.
High dose, short term,
exposure to Arsenic will cause death.
Arsenic is a naturally
occurring element widely distributed in the earth’s crust. It is odorless and tasteless. It enters drinking
water supplies from natural deposits in the earth or from agricultural (runoff from orchards) and industrial practices
(runoff from glass & electronic production
wastes ).Arsenic was used in pressure treated chromated copper arsenate (CCA) wood prior to December 31, 2003.
Arsenic is
absorbed from drinking and eating food cooked in contaminated water and through the skin.
There is some evidence that inhaled or
ingested arsenic can injure pregnant women or their unborn babies, although the studies are not definitive.
Studies in animals show that large doses of arsenic that cause illness in pregnant females, can also cause
low birth weight, fetal malformations, and even fetal death. Arsenic can cross the placenta and has been
found in fetal tissues. Arsenic is found at low levels in breast milk.
There is some evidence that long-term
exposure to arsenic in children may result in lower IQ scores. There is also some evidence that exposure to
arsenic in the womb and early childhood may increase mortality in young adults.
The urine is the most reliable test for
arsenic exposure within the last few days. Tests on hair and fingernails can measure exposure to high levels
of arsenic onver the past 6-12 months. Arsenic may have an affinity for hair. Thus hair samples may give
falsely elevated results. These tests can determine if you hae been exposed to above-average levels of
arsenic. They cannot predict whether the arsenic levels in your body will affect your health.
EPA has set the arsenic
standard for drinking water at .010 parts per million (10 parts per billion) to protect consumers served by
public water systems from the effects of long-term, chronic exposure to arsenic. Arsenic toxicity in the body
can increase with time and exposure. The rate of arsenic intake can exceed the rate of elimination from the
body.
Cardiovascular Disease
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Chronic arsenic poisoning may be persistent and/or
irreversible. Arsenic induced cardiovascular disease may result from the interaction among genetic, environment and
nutritional factors.
Chronic arsenic poisoning through ingestion of arsenic-contaminated
water is associated with various cardiovascular diseases including:
Atherosclerosis
|
High blood pressure
|
Stroke and Heart attack
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Impaired electrical conduction in the
heart
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Peripheral vascular disease (aka
peripheral artery disease)
|
Impaired small blood vessel
circulation
|
World Health Organization
Statements
·
Increased risks of lung and bladder cancer
and of arsenic-associated skin lesions have been observed at drinking-water arsenic concentrations of less
than 0.05 mg/L.
·
Immediate symptoms on an acute poisoning
typically include vomiting, esophagus and abdominal pain, and bloody "rice water" diarrhea.
·
The symptoms and signs that arsenic causes
appear to differ between individuals, population groups and geographic areas. Thus, there is no universal
definition of the disease caused by arsenic.
·
Following long-term exposure, the first
changes are usually observed in the skin: pigmentation changes, and then hyperkeratosis. Cancer is a late
phenomenon, and usually takes more than 10 years to develop.
Skin Absorption
Dermal absorption during showering and hand washing can
be an important exposure route if the water contains more than 100 mcg/L As(III) or As(V). Cell changes, cell death
associated with disruption of the cell membrane, and inhibition of DNA and protein syntheses occur at As(III)
exposure doses as low as 10 mcg/L. One to 6.4% of arsenic applied to the
skin or during bathing is absorbed and eliminated through the kidneys.
EPA standards for Arsenic Levels in Water
Health-based, non-enforceable Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCGL) of 0.0.
Enforceable Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) 0f 0.01 mg/ml (10ug/L) (10mcg/L) (10ppb).
How to test your body for Arsenic Toxicity:
How to test water for Arsenic Toxicity: WaterCheck Test
Recommended Arsenic Toxicity Water Treatment: [9]
This is not an all-encompassing metal toxicity list. There are other
sources of metal exposure not listed herein.
References
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts2.html
http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/arsenic/
National
Toxicology Program (http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/)
Risk of
carotid atherosclerosis associated with genetic polymorphisms of apolipoprotein E and inflammatory genes among
arsenic exposed residents in Taiwan .
Hsieh YC, Hsieh FI, Lien LM, Chou YL, Chiou HY, Chen CJ. Toxicol Appl
Pharmacol. 2008 Feb 15;227(1):1-7.
A review of
the epidemiologic literature on the role of environmental arsenic exposure and cardiovascular diseases. Wang
CH, Hsiao CK, Chen CL, Hsu LI, Chiou HY, Chen SY, Hsueh YM, Wu MM, Chen CJ. Toxicol Appl
Pharmacol. 2007 Aug 1;222(3):315-26.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs210/en/index.html World
Health Organization
Effects of
arsenic on human keratinocytes: morphological, physiological, and precursor incorporation
studies. Bernstam L, Lan CH, Lee J, Nriagu JO.
Environ Res. 2002 Jul;89(3):220-35.
In vivo and in vitro
percutaneous absorption and skin decontamination of arsenic from water and soil. Wester RC, Maibach HI, Sedik
L, Melendres J, Wade M. Fundam Appl
Toxicol. 1993
Apr;20(3):336-40.
[9] National Testing
Laboratories Corrective Action Brochure
Return from Arsenic Toxicity and Arsenic
Poisoning to Water Quality and Toxicities.
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