Arsenic

What is Arsenic

Arsenic is a widespread element in nature; we find it in the soil, in the rocks, in the water, in the air and in almost all animal and plant tissues. It is not surprising, therefore, that every day the man introduces a very small amount of arsenic through the ingestion of drinks and various foods. In some studies, this element with the well-known poisonous power has proved essential for some laboratory animals, while its biological role in the human organism is still uncertain.

The main industrial applications of arsenic have concerned the pharmaceutical sector and that of agro-chemical products, such as insecticides, herbicides and fungicides.

Arsenic in food

Today, the use of arsenic has been considerably reduced due to the possibility that it may somehow accumulate in the food chain and cause poisoning; for the same reason the international health authorities have imposed limits on the maximum residue of arsenic present in food. Among these, the most endangered are molluscs, crustaceans and marine algae. In general, however, these quantities are well below the toxicity threshold; the problem may still cause some concern, especially in developing countries, both due to less controls on food and aquifers, and to less restrictive measures on industrial pollution (in the past several cases of poisoning among agricultural workers have been reported, foundries and coal processing plants).

Health damage

Arsenic is mostly considered a carcinogen and the correlation between chronic exposure and lung and skin cancer is well documented; once ingested it accumulates in the keratin of the hair and hair, whose examination can be a valuable diagnostic clue.

The acute intoxication of arsenic for suicidal and criminal purposes, or by accidental ingestion, gives an initially digestive symptomatology (abdominal pain, vomiting diarrhea ...), followed by serious hepatic and renal disorders, cardiovascular collapse and coma; in the absence of medical treatment, death can occur in 12-48 hours.