Arsenic, What is it?

Arsenic is an element that is widely distributed in the earth's crust. Inorganic arsenic occurs naturally in soil and in many kinds of rock, especially in minerals and ores that contain copper or lead.

What happens to arsenic when it enters the environment?

Arsenic occurs naturally in soil and minerals and therefore it may enter the air, water, and land from wind-blown dust and may get into water from runoff and leaching. Arsenic is associated with ores mined for metals, such as copper and lead, and may enter the environment during the mining and smelting of these ores.

Arsenic cannot be destroyed in the environment. It can only change its form, or become attached or separated, from particles. Many common arsenic compounds can dissolve in water. Thus, arsenic can get into lakes, rivers, or underground water by dissolving in rain or snow or through the discharge of industrial wastes. Ultimately most arsenic ends up in the water, soil or sediment.

How can arsenic affect my health?

Inorganic arsenic has been recognized as a human poison since ancient times, and large oral doses (above 60,000 ppb in food or water) can produce death. If you swallow lower levels of inorganic arsenic (ranging from about 300 to 30,000 ppb in food or water), you may experience irritation of your stomach and intestines, with symptoms such as stomach ache, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Other effects you might experience from swallowing inorganic arsenic include decreased production of red and white blood cells which may cause fatigue, abnormal heart rhythm, blood-vessel damage resulting in bruising, and impaired nerve function causing a "pins and needles" sensation in your hands and feet.

Arsenic has also been reported to increase the risk of cancer in the liver, bladder, kidneys, prostate, and lungs. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has determined that inorganic arsenic is a known carcinogen

Perhaps the single most characteristic effect of long-term oral exposure to inorganic arsenic is a pattern of skin changes. These include a darkening of the skin and the appearance of small "corns" or "warts" on the palms, soles, and torso.

How can arsenic affect children?

Children who are exposed to arsenic may have many of the same effects as adults, including irritation of the stomach and intestines, blood vessel damage, skin changes, and reduced nerve function. Thus, all health effects observed in adults are of potential concern in children. We do not know if absorption of arsenic from the gut in children differs from adults.

How can families reduce their risk of exposure to arsenic?

If you live in an area with a high level of arsenic in the water or soil, substituting cleaner sources of water through water treatment devices that are certified for the removal of arsenic, and limiting contact with soil (for example, through use of a dense groundcover or thick lawn) would reduce family exposure to arsenic.

How might I be exposed to arsenic?

You normally take in small amounts of arsenic in the air you breathe, the water you drink, and the food you eat. Children may also be exposed to arsenic by eating dirt. The concentration of arsenic in soil varies widely, generally ranging from about 1 to 40 parts of arsenic to a million parts of soil (ppm) with an average level of 5 ppm.

The concentration of arsenic in natural surface and groundwater is generally about 1 part in a billion parts of water (1 ppb) but may exceed 1,000 ppb in mining areas or where arsenic levels in soil are high. Groundwater is far more likely to contain high levels of arsenic than surface water. Surveys of U.S. drinking water indicate that about 80% of water supplies have less than 2 ppb of arsenic, but 2% of supplies exceed 20 ppb of arsenic. Some areas of the United States contain unusually high natural levels of arsenic in rock, and this can lead to unusually high levels of arsenic in soil or water. If you live in an area like this, you could take in elevated amounts of arsenic in drinking water. Some hazardous waste sites contain large quantities of arsenic. If the material is not properly disposed of, it can get into surrounding water.

How can arsenic enter and leave my body?

If you swallow arsenic in water, soil, or food, most of the arsenic may quickly enter into your body. If you breathe air that contains arsenic dusts, many of the dust particles settle onto the lining of the lungs.

If you are exposed to arsenic, your liver changes some of this to a less harmful organic form. Most of the arsenic will be gone within several days, although some will remain in your body for several months or even longer.