Arsenic causing

Several inorganic arsenic compounds are weak inducers of chromosomal aberrations, sister chromatid exchange, and in vitro transformation of mammalian and piscine cells. However, there is no conclusive evidence that arsenic causes point mutations in any cellular system (Pershagen and Valuer 1979 Belton et al. 1985 Lee et al. 1985 Deknudt et al. 1986 Manna and Mukheijee 1989). Studies with bacteria suggest that arsenite is a comutagen, or may inhibit DNA repair (Belton et al. 1985). 

In Ganges Delta, groundwater contaminated with arsenic causes health risk of 40 million people.1 Since arsenic exists as both arsenite (As(III)) and arsenate (As(V)), removal methods for both arsenic species are desired to resolve the arsenic calamity in Ganges Delta.2 Granular adsorbents specific... 

Arsenic causes both skin and lung cancer. Skin cancer was observed over 100 years ago in patients treated with arsenical compounds, and lung cancer was seen in smelter workers who chronically inhaled arsenic dust. Although arsenic is an established human carcinogen, it has been difficult to confirm and study in animal models. Arsenic readily crosses the placenta, but there appears to be increased methylation of arsenic to its organic form, which reduces its toxicity to the fetus. 

Meharg, A.A. (2005) Venomous Earth How Arsenic Caused the World s Worst Mass Poisoning, Macmillan, New York, 192. 

Arsine, the most toxic form of arsenic, exhibits some characteristics that may make it useful as a chemical warfare (CW) agent. Arsine is a colorless, odorless, nonirritating gas and is 2.5 times denser than air (Henriksson et al, 1996 Pullen-James and Woods, 2006 Thomas and Young, 2001). At concentrations above 0.5 ppm, a garlic-like odor may be noted, but arsine is toxic at much lower concentrations. Acute arsine poisoning due to inhalation of arsine gas (AsHs) is rare but has no known antidote. It is the most acutely toxic form of arsenic causing rapid and severe hemolysis immediately on exposure. The mechanisms of hemolysis are not completely understood. Arsine has a short half-life (27-96 h) and is converted to various arsenic derivatives. Although it... 

High doses of inorganic arsenic have produced various developmental malformations in animals. Animal data suggest that inorganic arsenite rather than methylated metabolites of arsenic caused the developmental abnormalities. 

Unregulated dumping of untreated industrial, municipal, agricultural wastes and mining give rise to land degradation. Heavy metals like mercury, lead, cadmium, nickel and arsenic cause serious land pollution problems. For example, in Japan, waste from the mines and factories located in agricultural areas have been found to have contaminated the soil with heavy metals (see Chapter 12 for more information on... 

The use of natural gas condensates, cheaper and easier to obtain than naphta, is growing. These raw materials are often contaminated by mercury and arsenic compounds. The presence of arsenic or mercury in crude oil can cause not only environmental pollution and equipment corrosion, but also reduction of metallic catalysts life time [1]. For example, in the case of steam reforming or methanation reactions, the presence of arsenic causes severe poisoning of the nickel catalysts [2]. 

Soil, which is important to both urban and rural communities, may contain heavy metals. This type of contamination is possible near mining, manufacmring, and old landfill sites, etc. Excess accumulations of heavy metals in soil are toxic to humans. This is especially true, when the pollutants are taken up by plants that are consumed by humans and animals (that are part of our regular diet). Heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and arsenic, cause damage to our central nervous system and our vital organs. 

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