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Back to the list of Toxins and Environmental Health information Arsenic
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Common Name / Academic Name / Abbreviation | |
Arsenic / Arsenic / As |
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Chemical formula / Elements tags | |
As / |
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State | |
Solid |
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Classification
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Inorganic Compound |
Toxic (T) |
| Description: | |
Arsenic is a metallic element that occurs naturally in the earth's crust and soils. It is usually combined with other elements such as oxygen or chlorine to form compounds including arsenic trioxide or arsenic trichloride. The type of arsenic compound is important when assessing the risk to health, as some forms are much less harmful than others.
[ref105] |
| Variant form: | |
Inorganic arsenic compounds:
Arsenic trichloride (AsCl3), Arsenic trioxide (As2O3), Calcium arsenite, cupric acetoarsenite, Sodium arsenite, Arsenic trisulphide, Arsenic acid, Arsenic pentoxide, Calcium arsenate
Organic arsenic compounds:
Cacodylic acid, Arsanilic acid, Arsine gas and the substituted arsines, Dichloroethylarsine, ethyldichloroarsine, Dichloro(2-chlorovinyl-)arsine, Dimethyl-arsine, trimethylarsine |
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Illustrations:
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Arsenic Specimen
Arsenic
Source: z.about.com |
Arsenic and hands
Hands of a patient contaminated by Arsenic
Source: environmentalchristian.files.wordpress.com |
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News:
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• The Case for Visual Analytics of Arsenic Concentrations in Foods
This is a review about arsenic toxicity and an analytical technique called visual analytics. Visual analytics is an interactive discipline with visual interface that facilitate interpretation. This paper reviews the metabolism of arsenic and highlights the fact that it is more probable to be contaminated via food than water.
(Source: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
- 28 Apr 2010
)
| • Arsenic makes mice more susceptible to H1N1 flu virus.
This is a study run to link arsenic exposure to a reduced immune response. They used four groups of mice: one group exposed to arsenic, one exposed to flu, one exposed to flu plus arsenic, and finally, one not exposed (control group).
The group only exposed to arsenic was neither affected by weight loss nor by growth loss, but the immune response, relative to the control group was affected, what could predispose this group to severe immune failure.
The group only affected by the flu virus shoewd "normal response", namely loss of weight and recover after few days.
The group affected by both arsenic and flu virus got very ill: the lungs were filled with water and hemorrhaged.
This experiment resulted that arsenic affects the immune response against an infection. This study was run on mice, but it suggests that arsenic can also modify the immune response to virus (H1N1) in humans.
As arsenic human exposure leads to several respiratory diseases and as shows this study on mice, arsenic exposure (even at low levels) can influence the severity of diseases like H1N1. That's why it is important to include environmental exposures to risk assessment of certain diseases.
(Source: Environmental Health News
- 17 Jul 2009
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| • Aquatic Arsenic: Toxicity, speciation, transformation, and remediation
This is a review about the toxicity, speciation, and biogeochemistry of aquatic arsenic. The toxicity of arsenic depends of its speciation, which is mainly a function of pH, redox potential, adsorbing surfaces, oganic matter, inorganic substance and biological mediation.
They also review some solutions to remove arsenic from drinking water.
(Source: Environment International
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Occurrence:
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Natural
Arsenic occurs naturally in soil and minerals and may enter the air, water, and land from wind-blown dust and may get into water from runoff and leaching. [ref107]
Arsenic is present in more than 200 mineral species, the most common of which is arsenopyrite.
It has been estimated that about one-third of the atmospheric flux of arsenic is of natural origin. Volcanic action is the most important natural source of arsenic, followed by low-temperature volatilization.
Inorganic arsenic of geological origin is found in groundwater used as drinking-water in several parts of the world, for example Bangladesh.
Organic arsenic compounds such as arsenobetaine, arsenocholine, tetramethylarsonium salts, arsenosugars and arsenic-containing lipids are mainly found in marine organisms although some of these compounds have also been found in terrestrial species [ref251]. Industrial
Elemental arsenic is produced commercially from arsenic trioxide. Arsenic trioxide is a by-product of metal smelting operations.
Mining, metal smelting and burning of fossil fuels are the major industrial processes that contribute to arsenic contamination of air, water and soil. [ref108] |
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Use & Products:
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Industrial
Arsenic has metallurgical applications in industry where it is used for hardening lead and enhancing the toughness and corrosion resistance of copper. Arsenic compounds are used in medicine, glass manufacture, pigment production, rodent poisons, insecticides, fungicides, weed killers, semiconductor manufacture, and tanning processes.
[ref110]
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Exposure routes & media:
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Inhalation / Indoor Air
Cigarette smoke contains a large amount of arsenic, and smoking can double the amount taken in per day. [ref106] Keywords:
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Inhalation / ingestion/inhalation
Ingesting small amounts present in your food and water or breathing air containing arsenic.
[ref107] Ingestion / Drinking/Natural water
The release of arsenic, a potent human carcinogen, from bedrock into groundwater is a growing public health concern because groundwater is increasingly used as a source of drinking water. [ref111] Keywords:
- Bangladesh
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Negative effets:
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Acute / Gastrointestinal system and liver
Ingestion of large amounts can lead to gastrointestinal symptoms such as severe vomiting, disturbances of the blood and circulation, damage to the nervous system, and eventually death. When not deadly, such large doses may reduce blood cell production, break up red blood cells in the circulation, enlarge the liver, color the skin, produce tingling and loss of sensation in the limbs, and cause brain damage. [ref109]
Cancer
Long-term exposure to arsenic in drinking water can cause cancer in the skin, lungs, bladder and kidney. [ref109] |
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Treatment:
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Prevention
In water:
If you are concerned about the level of arsenic in your drinking water, know that information on arsenic levels is available.
If the level is unacceptably high, consider getting drinking water from another source. Remember that household water filters do not effectively remove arsenic.
At work:
If you currently work in an industry where arsenic exposure is a concern, the important ways to reduce or prevent exposures include:
engineering changes, such as substituting safer materials for more hazardous materials, enclosing a process that may expose workers to hazards, or ventilating a work area
good work practices, such as changing clothes after work, washing work clothes regularly, and keeping food out of the work area
personal protective equipment, such as gloves and respirators, as part of a workplace protective program
For more information on preventing or reducing occupational exposures, speak with your company's safety and health manager
[ref113]
First-Aid
Arsine gas poisoning:
When there is reason to believe that there has been considerable exposure to arsine gas, or upon observation of the first symptoms (e.g., haemoglobinuria and abdominal pain), immediate removal of the individual from the contaminated environment and prompt medical attention are required. The recommended treatment, if there is any evidence of impaired renal function, consists of total-replacement blood transfusion associated with prolonged artificial dialysis.
Poisoning by inorganic arsenic. If there has been exposure to doses that can be estimated to give rise to acute poisoning, or if severe symptoms from the respiratory system, the skin or the gastrointestinal tract occur in the course of long-term exposures, the worker should immediately be removed from exposure and treated with a complexing agent.
[ref112] |
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Regulation:
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• Drinking Water Guidelines and Standards
- International
- 1996
In their Drinking Water Quality Guidelines and Standards, WHO has fixed the maximum value of arsenic to be 0.01 mg/L in drinking water [ref129]
• REGULATION (EC) No 1907/2006 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), establishing a European Chemicals Agency, amending Directive 1999/45/EC and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1488/94 as well as Council Directive 76/769/EEC and Commission Directives 91/155/EEC, 93/67/EEC, 93/105/EC and 2000/21/EC
- EU
- December 2006
In 2006, European Parliamant prohibits use of arsenic as a substance and constituents of preparations intended for use:
- to prevent fouling by micro-organism of any submerged appliace
- in preservation of wood. In case of use as preservative for wood, such wood shouldn't be used in domestic construction, application in contact with skin, in marine waters, for agricultural purpose or any other application where wood may be in contact with human or animal.
- in the treatment of industrial waters.
[ref115]
• Ordonnance sur la réduction des risques liés à l'utilisation de substances, de préparations et d'objets particulièrement dangereux
- CH
- March 2008
Federal Council has fixed the maximum value of 25 mg/kg dry material for arsenic in wood stuff [ref130]
• Ordonnance du DFI sur les substances étrangères et les composants dans les denrées alimentaires
- CH
- April 2010
The maximum value for arsenic in: - drinking water is fixed at 0.05 mg/kg
- non alcoholic beverages is fixed at 0.1 mg/kg
[ref327]
• Trinkwasserverordnung - analge 2 - Chemische Parameter
- DE
- May 2001
The Drinking water quality guideline sets the maximum value for arsenic in drinking water as 0.01 mg/L [ref325]
• L'arsenic dans les eaux de boisson
- FR
- 2003
The maximum permissible concentration of arsenic in drinking water is 0.01 mg/L
[ref132]
• Natural Mineral Water, Spring Water and Bottled Drinking Water (England) Regulations 2007
- UK
- 2009
The legal limit value of total arsenic in drinking water is 0.01 mg/L [ref328]
The legal limit of total arsenic in food is 1 mg/kg [ref133]
• Decreto Legislativo 2 febbraio 2001 n. 31. Attuazione della direttiva 98/83/CE relativa alla qualità delle acque destinate al consumo umano - allegato 1 parte B
- IT
- February 2001
The legal limit value of arsenic in drinking water is 0.01 mg/L [ref326]
• Federal Register; 70 FR 33694 June 9, 2005 - Beverages: Bottled Water Final Rule
- USA
- June 2005
FDA fixed the maximum value of arsenic in drinking water (natural and bottled) as 0.01 mg/L [ref135]
• Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) Compliance Strategy
- USA
- June 2004
In order to reduce exposition to arsenic used as wood preservative, USEPA established a list of allowed substances and substances that production has to be stopped. [ref136]
• Arsenic in Drinking Water - Government of Canada's Role
- CA
- 2006
Legal limit of arsenic is fixed at 0.1 mg/L [ref137]
• Re-evaluation Note: Update on the Re-evaluation of the Heavy Duty Wood Preservatives Creosote, Pentachlorophenol and CCA
- CA
- April 2008
Canada follows the same policy and works together with USEPA [ref138]
• The Reconsideration of Registrations of Arsenic Timber Treatment Products (CCA and arsenic trioxide) and Their Associated Labels
- AU
- March 2005
Arsenic as preservative in wood (CCA):
- declared as "Restricted Chemical Product" to ensure that supply of these products are restricted to suitably trained persons.
- prohibited for use in: - picnic tables
- decking
- handrails
- children's play equipment
Arsenic as pest (arsenic trioxide):
- products containing arsenic trioxide are applied only by licensed pest control operators.
Arsenic as intake from: - provisional maximum tolerable daily intake of inorganic arsenic in food: 3 microg/kg bw/day (1999)
- food: TDI for 2 years old children: 0.078 microg/kg body weight/day
- water: TDI for 3-5 year old children: 6.09 microg/day/child
TDI: Tolerably Daily Intake
[ref139]
• T-4-93 - Standards for Metals in fertilizers and Supplements
- CA
- September 1997
For arsenic in fertilizers, the maximum acceptable concentration is fixed at 75 mg/kg dry weight.
For arsenic accumulation is soil, the maximum acceptable cumulative concentration is fixed at 15 kg/hectar, which is the value for the total cumulative value over a long-term period (45 years) [ref128].
• Food and agricultural code - revision of 01.01.2010
- USA
- January 2010
Arsenic in fertilizer:
For each percent iron, manganese or zinc, the limit value of arsenic is 13 ppm.
For each percent available phosphate, the limit value of cadmium is 2 ppm.
For specialty fertilizer tat guarantee less than 6% availble phosphate, the limit value for cadmium is 10 ppm. [ref121]
• Bestimmung und Bewertung von Schwermalten in Düngensmitteln, Bodenhilfsstoffen und Kultursubstraten
- DE
- March 2008
The limit value for arsenic in fertilizer is 20 mg/kg [ref119].
• Regulation (EC) No 2003/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of the 13 October 2003 relating to fertilizers
- EU
- October 2003
This regulation says that no heavy metal should be added deliberately in fertilizers, but traces can be present. For arsenic specifically, no limit is fixed [ref127].
• Impacts of Groundwater Contaminateion with Fluoride and Arsenic: Affliction Severity, Medical Cost and Wage Loss in some villages of India
- IN
The Indian standard for arsenic in drinking water is 50 microg/L, which is five times the limit value fixed by the World Health Organization [ref292].
• Law of the People's Republic of China on Prevention and Control of Water Pollution
- CN
- June 2008
Proscription of discharging or dumping arsenic: - into water
- in burying underground
Proscription of new construction generating arsenic.
[ref293]
• Specifications, Standards and Testing Methods for Foodstuffs, Implements, Containers and Packaging, Toys, Detergent 2008
- JP
- January 2009
Soft drink: Arsenic must not be detectable.
Water used as raw material for soft drinks: Arsenic concentration must not exceed 0.05 mg/L.
Mineral water: Arsenic concentration must not exceed 0.05 mg/L.
In toys: using a 20 mL sample solution, arsenic content must not exceed 0.1 microg/mL
In metal cans (for food package): using a 10 mL sample solution, arsenic content must not exceed 0.2 microg/mL.
[ref294]
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