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An Aspect of Environmental Safety: Arsenic LevelsAditya Mittal, Republished from SafetyIssues.com Issue 32 |
Volume 4 Issue 43June 2005 |
| Did you know that breathing high levels of inorganic arsenic can give you a sore throat or irritated lungs and that ingesting high levels of inorganic arsenic can even result in death? Several studies have even shown that inorganic arsenic can increase the risk of lung cancer, skin cancer, bladder cancer, liver cancer, kidney cancer, and prostate cancer. The World Health Organization (WHO), the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have determined that inorganic arsenic is a human carcinogen. |
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| What is arsenic? Arsenic is a naturally occurring element widely distributed in the earth's crust. Arsenic is combined with oxygen, chlorine, and sulfur to form inorganic arsenic compounds in the environment and combines with carbon and hydrogen to form organic arsenic compounds in animals and plants. It cannot be destroyed in the environment, but can change form. Arsenic in the air will settle to the ground or is washed out of the air by rain. Many arsenic compounds can dissolve in water which is a problem and researchers are working on cost-efficient methods of removal. Fish and shellfish can accumulate arsenic, but the arsenic in fish is mostly in a form that is not harmful to humans. | |
| You may be exposed to arsenic without knowing it, just by eating, drinking water or breathing air containing arsenic. Arsenic can be found in contaminated workplace air, sawdust or burning smoke from wood treated with arsenic. In addition it can also be found near uncontrolled hazardous waste sites. You may also be exposed to arsenic if you live in areas with unusually high natural levels of arsenic in rock. It is always a good idea to wear dust masks, gloves, and protective clothing to decrease exposure to sawdust while working with arsenic-treated wood. |
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| Since arsenic is so harmful and abundant in the environment much research is funded on its removal from drinking water. Research in the areas of desalination and removal of arsenic in water will step up at the National Nuclear Security Administration's Sandia National Laboratories over the next few years, the result of a $6 million allocation in the FY2004 federal Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill. The federal government is setting strict guidelines for arsenic levels. EPA has set limits on the amount of arsenic that industrial sources can release in to the environment and has restricted or canceled many uses of arsenic in pesticides. EPA has set a limit of 0.01 parts per million (ppm) for arsenic in drinking water. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has set limits of 10 microgram arsenic per cubic meter of workplace air (10 µg/m³) for 8 hour shifts and 40 hour work weeks. | |
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Physical symptoms due to arsenic exposure can include nausea and
vomiting, decreased production of red and white blood cells, abnormal
heart rhythm, damage to blood vessels, and a sensation of "pins and
needles" in hands and feet. Ingesting or breathing low levels of inorganic arsenic for a long time can cause a darkening of the skin and the appearance of small "corns" or "warts" on the palms, soles, and torso. Skin contact with inorganic arsenic may also cause redness and swelling. |
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| Organic arsenic compounds are less toxic than inorganic arsenic compounds. Exposure to high levels of some organic arsenic compounds may cause similar effects as inorganic arsenic. | |
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If you feel that you have been exposed to high levels of arsenic
seek medical help and specifically, tests that measure the level of
arsenic in blood, urine, hair, or fingernails. The urine test is the most
reliable test for arsenic exposure within the last few days. Tests on hair and fingernails can measure exposure to high levels or arsenic over the past 6-12 months. These tests can determine if you have been exposed to above-average levels of arsenic.However, they cannot predict how the arsenic levels in your body will affect your health. Different people have different reactions at a variety of intensities to chemical substances like arsenic and research on the subject continues. Although, the federal and state governments are taking a serious interest in removing arsenic from the environment, we all should be careful to reduce our exposure to arsenic where possible. |
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| For more information you can contact your community or state health or environmental quality department. | |
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