A Small Dose of Arsenic

• An Introduction into the Health Effects of Arsenic

Arsenic Dossier

Name: Arsenic

• Use: wood preservative, pesticides, semiconductor manufacturing
• Source: coal combustion, drinking water, environment, medical drug, seafood
• Recommended daily intake: none (not essential)
• Absorption: inhalation, intestine - inorganic high, organic low, skin
• Sensitive individuals: children
• Toxicity/symptoms: peripheral nervous system (tingling in hands in feet), skin cancer (ingestion), lung cancer (inhalation); hyperpigmentation (keratosis) of palms and soles; vascular complications
• Regulatory facts: EPA - Drinking water 10 µg/L (0.01 ppm, 10 ppb)
• EPA - RfD - 0.3 µg/kg/day
• OSHA - Workplace air 10 µg/m3
• ATSDR - MRL - 0.3 µg/kg/day
• General facts: long history of use as medicine and poison
• Environmental: global environmental contaminant, bioaccumulates in fish and shellfish (mostly in a form that is not harmful)
• Recommendations: avoid, do not use arsenic-treated lumber, test drinking water

Arsenic Chapter

• A Small Dose of Arsenic - chapter pdf

PowerPoint Presentation

• A Small Dose of Arsenic - PowerPoint presentation (0.5 mb)

More Information and References

European, Asian, and International Agencies

• World Health Organization. Arsenic in Drinking Water Fact Sheet.

North American Agencies

• Health Canada. Arsenic in Drinking Water. Health Canada provides information on the health effects of arsenic in drinking water.

• US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Arsenic Compounds. EPA site has general information and research on arsenic.

• US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Integrated Risk Information System: Inorganic Arsenic. Site contains EPA's risk assessment evaluation of inorganic arsenic.

• US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program. Site has information on arsenic release in the US.

• US Agency for Toxic Substance Disease Registry. Toxicology Profile Series: Arsenic.

• US National Research Council. Arsenic in Drinking Water: 2001 Update. The NRC report on arsenic can be accessed from the their website.

• US Geological Services (USGS). Arsenic in Groundwater. Site contains a map of United States showing arsenic in water.

Non-Government Organizations

• SOS Arsenic Poisoning In Bangladesh/India. Information in English, German, Spanish, and French on arsenic poisoning in Bangladesh and India.

References

• "Environmentally healthy homes and communities. Children's special vulnerabilities." Am Nurse, 33, 6 (2001): 26-38; quiz 39-40.

• Hall, A. H. "Chronic arsenic poisoning". Toxicol Lett, 128, 1-3 (2002): 69-72.

• Jiang, J. Q. "Removing arsenic from groundwater for the developing world—a review". Water Sci Technol, 44, 6 (2001): 89-98.

• Liu, J., et al. (2002). "Chronic arsenic poisoning from burning high-arseniccontaining coal in Guizhou, China". Environ Health Perspect, 110, 2 (2002): 119- 122.

• Pott, W. A., Benjamin, S. A., and R. S. Yang. "Pharmacokinetics, metabolism, and carcinogenicity of arsenic". Rev Environ Contam Toxicol, 169, (2001): 165-214.

• Rahman, M. M., et al. "Chronic arsenic toxicity in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India--a review and commentary". J Toxicol Clin Toxicol, 39, 7 (2001): 683-700.

• Smith, A. H., Lingas, E. O., and M. Rahman. "Contamination of drinking-water by arsenic in Bangladesh: a public health emergency". Bull World Health Organ, 78, 9 (2000): 1093-1103.

• WHO. "Towards an Assessment of Socioeconomic Impact of Arsenic Poisoning in Bangladesh". World Health Organization, Sustainable Development and Healthy Environments, WHO/SDE/WSH/00.4, (2000): 1-42.

• Yu, H. S., et al. "Environmental and occupational skin diseases in Taiwan". J Dermatol, 28, 11 (2001): 628-631.