Arsenic

Arsenic toxicity has been recognized for centuries, and hair shows significant correlation with intake. Arsenic toxicity manifests with various symptoms including macrocytosis and neuropathy. Data show that cereals are a major source of arsenic during infancy and that changes in hair arsenic levels during infancy correspond to the introduction of cereals into the diet.

Sources:

Air pollution
Antibiotics given to commercial livestock
Chemical processing
Coal-fired power plants
Defoliants
Drinking water
Drying agents for cotton
Fish
Herbicides
Insecticides*
Meats (from commercially raised poultry and cattle)
Metal ore smelting
Pesticides*
Seafood (fish, mussels, oysters)
Specialty glass
Wood preservatives*

*The labels of treated wood and insecticides may be checked for arsenic content.

Target Organs: Most organs of the body, especially the gastrointestinal system, lungs, and skin.

Health effects:

Abdominal pain
Burning of the mouth and throat
Cancer (especially lung and skin)
Coma
Diarrhea
Nausea
Neuritis
Peripheral vascular problems
Skin lesions
Vascular collapse
Macrocytosis
Neuropathy

Lower levels of exposure to inorganic arsenic may cause:

Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Decreased production of red and white blood cells
Abnormal heart rhythm
Blood vessel damage
A "pins and needles" sensation in hands and feet
Painful and profuse diarrhea
Shock
Irritation
Inflammation
Ulceration of mucous membranes and skin
Kidney damage
Direct skin contact may cause redness and swelling.

Chronic toxic effects are:

Fatigue
Loss of energy
G.I. disturbance
Nasal septum perforation
Ulceration in folds of skin
Increased pigmentation of skin
Appearance of small "corns" or "warts" on the palms, soles, and torso
Exfoliative dermatitis
Rashes
Muscular paralyses and atrophy
Sensory disturbances
Visual disturbances and blindness
Degeneration of liver (cirrhosis) and kidneys
Garlic odor to breath
Noncirrhotic portal hypertension

The greatest dangers from chronic arsenic exposure are lung and skin cancers and gradual poisoning, most frequently from living near metal smelting plants or arsenic factories. Arsenic toxicity has been recognized for centuries, and hair shows significant correlation with intake.

When arsenic enters the environment:

It doesn't evaporate.
Most arsenic compounds can dissolve in water.
It gets into air when contaminated materials are burned.
It settles from the air to the ground.
It doesn't break down, but can change from one form to another
Fish and shellfish build up organic arsenic in their tissues, but most of the arsenic in fish isn't toxic.

Risk of Exposure:

Breathing sawdust or burning smoke from wood containing arsenic
Breathing workplace air
Ingesting contaminated water, soil, or air at waste sites
Ingesting contaminated water, soil, or air near areas naturally high in arsenic
Inorganic arsenic is a human poison. Organic arsenic is less harmful.

High levels of inorganic arsenic in food or water can be fatal. A high level is 60 parts of arsenic per million parts of food or water (60 ppm). Arsenic damages many tissues including nerves (peripheral polyneuropathy, axonal degeneration), stomach and intestines, and skin. Breathing high levels can give you a sore throat and irritated lungs. All arsenicals except arsine act by inhibiting sulfhydryl enzyme systems required for cell metabolism and the potency of action depends on the valency of the arsenic atom. Arsine reacts with haemoglobin to form a very strong haemolytic poison.

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