Elsevier

Talanta

Volume 58, Issue 1, 16 August 2002, Pages 201-235
Talanta

Review
Arsenic round the world: a review

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0039-9140(02)00268-0Get rights and content

Abstract

This review deals with environmental origin, occurrence, episodes, and impact on human health of arsenic. Arsenic, a metalloid occurs naturally, being the 20th most abundant element in the earth's crust, and is a component of more than 245 minerals. These are mostly ores containing sulfide, along with copper, nickel, lead, cobalt, or other metals. Arsenic and its compounds are mobile in the environment. Weathering of rocks converts arsenic sulfides to arsenic trioxide, which enters the arsenic cycle as dust or by dissolution in rain, rivers, or groundwater. So, groundwater contamination by arsenic is a serious threat to mankind all over the world. It can also enter food chain causing wide spread distribution throughout the plant and animal kingdoms. However, fish, fruits, and vegetables primarily contain organic arsenic, less than 10% of the arsenic in these foods exists in the inorganic form, although the arsenic content of many foods (i.e. milk and dairy products, beef and pork, poultry, and cereals) is mainly inorganic, typically 65–75%. A few recent studies report 85–95% inorganic arsenic in rice and vegetables, which suggest more studies for standardisation. Humans are exposed to this toxic arsenic primarily from air, food, and water. Thousands and thousands of people are suffering from the toxic effects of arsenicals in many countries all over the world due to natural groundwater contamination as well as industrial effluent and drainage problems. Arsenic, being a normal component of human body is transported by the blood to different organs in the body, mainly in the form of MMA after ingestion. It causes a variety of adverse health effects to humans after acute and chronic exposures such as dermal changes (pigmentation, hyperkeratoses, and ulceration), respiratory, pulmonary, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, hematological, hepatic, renal, neurological, developmental, reproductive, immunologic, genotoxic, mutagenetic, and carcinogenic effects. Key research studies are needed for improving arsenic risk assessment at low exposure levels urgently among all the arsenic research groups.

Introduction

Arsenic is a ubiquitous element that ranks 20th in abundance in the earth's crust, 14th in the seawater, and 12 in the human body [1]. Since its isolation in 1250 A.D. by Albertus Magnus, this element has been a center of controversy in human history. It has been used in medicine [2]. Not only medicine, it has been used in various fields i.e. agriculture, livestock, electronics, industry and metallurgy [3]. It is now well recognized that consumption of arsenic, even at low levels, leads to carcinogenesis.

Section snippets

Occurrence

The terrestrial abundance of arsenic is around 1.5–3 mg kg−1. Source of arsenic in the environment includes natural and anthropogenic.

Metabolisms

Humans are exposed to many different forms of inorganic and organic arsenic species (arsenicals) in food, water and other environmental media. Each of the forms of arsenic has different physicochemical properties and bioavailability and therefore the study of the kinetics and metabolism of arsenicals in animals and humans is a complex matter. Large interspecies differences compared with other metals and metalloids also characterize arsenic metabolism.

Routes of arsenic intake in vivo considered

Arsenic episodes round the world

Arsenic poisoning episodes have been reported all over the world. Exposure to arsenic may come from natural sources, from industrial sources, or from food and beverages. So, arsenic episodes all over the world are divided into three categories:

  • 1

    Natural groundwater arsenic contamination.

  • 2

    Arsenic contamination from industrial source.

  • 3

    Arsenic contamination from food and beverage.

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the help of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, JSPS Fellows Plaza, Japan for the financial support to Dr Badal Kumar Mandal who is working in this University. This study was supported by Grants-in-Aid of Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture (Nos. 12000236 and 12470509). Also, the authors thank Dr T. Roy Chowdhury, NIHS, Tokyo, Japan for his cordial help for the preparation of this manuscript.

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