Arsenic in tissues

The most popular era for homicidal arsenic poisoning occurred prior to the development of modern, accurate chemical analysis techniques. However, up-to-date information on the relative concentrations of arsenic in tissue samples is available in a number of cases of industrial, suicidal and homicidal exposure to arsenic. 

Arsine is rapidly absorbed into blood through the respiratory tract (Venugopal and Luckey, 1978). Arsenic can be detected in blood after a few days of exposure. The highest quantities of arsenic were found in Uver, kidney, and spleen, and smaller amounts of arsenic were also found in the hair of workers occupationally exposed to arsine (Romeo et al, 1997). Apostoli et al (1997) detected the presence of arsenic in tissues, blood, and urine of workers in the petroleum industry who were poisoned with arsine. In a fatal case of arsine poisoning, arsenic was found in the liver at a concentration of 11.8 mg/g, spleen at 7.9 mg/g, kidneys at 3.2 mg/g, brain at 0.6 mg/g, and in the urine at 0.6 mg/ml. Trace amounts were also found in the blood (Apostoli et al, 1997). 

Bertolero, F., Marafante, E., Edel Bade, J., Pietra, R., and Sabbioni, E. (1981). Biotransformation and intracellular binding of arsenic in tissues of rabbits after in-traperitoneal administration of As labelled arsenite. Toxicology 35-44. 

Bertolero F, Marafante E, Edel Rade J, Pietra R, Sabbioni E (1981) Biotransformation and intracellular binding of arsenic in tissue of rabbits after intraper-itoneal administration of " As labelled arsenite. Toxicology 20 35-44 Braman RS, Foreback CC (1973) Methylated forms of arsenic in the environment. Science 182 1247-1249... 

Proximity to the smokestacks of metal smelters is positively associated with increased levels of lead in the hair (manes) of horses and in tissues of small mammals, and is consistent with the results of soil and vegetation analyses (USEPA 1972). Lead concentrations were comparatively high in the hair of older or chronically impaired horses (USEPA 1972). However, tissues of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) collected near a zinc smelter did not contain elevated levels of lead (Sileo and Beyer 1985). Among small mammals near a metal smelter, blood ALAD activity was reduced in the white-footed mouse but normal in others, e.g., the short-tailed shrew (Beyer et al. 1985). The interaction effects of lead components in smelter emissions with other components, such as zinc, cadmium, and arsenic, are unresolved (USEPA 1972) and warrant additional research. 

Gilmartin, J.E., D.K. Alo, M.E. Richmond, C.A. Bache, and D.J. Lisk. 1985. Lead in tissues of cats fed pine voles from lead-arsenate treated orchards. Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 34 291-294. 

The use of phenylarsonic feed additives to promote growth in poultry and swine and to treat specific diseases does not seem to constitute a hazard to the animal or to its consumers. Animal deaths and elevated tissue arsenic residues occur only when the arsenicals are fed at excessive dosages for long periods (NAS 1977). Arsenic can be detected at low levels in tissues of animals fed organoarsenicals, but it is rapidly eliminated when the arsenicals are removed from the feed for the required 5-day period before marketing (Woolson 1975). 

Soils amended with arsenic-contaminated plant tissues were not measurably affected in C02 evolution and nitrification, suggesting that the effects of adding arsenic to soils does not influence the decomposition rate of plant tissues by soil microorganisms (Wang et al. 1984). The half-life of cacodylic acid is about 20 days in untreated soils and 31 days in arsenic-amended soils (Hood 1985). Estimates of the half-time of inorganic arsenicals in soils are much longer, ranging from 6.5 years for arsenic trioxide to 16 years for lead arsenate (NRCC 1978). 

In addition, the following techniques should be developed and implemented (1) more sophisticated measurements of the chemical forms of arsenic in plant and animal tissues (2) correlation of biologically observable effects with particular chemical forms of arsenic and (3) management of arsenical wastes that accommodates recycling, reuse, and long-term storage. 

Prescribed limits for arsenic in feedstuffs Straight feedstuffs, except those listed below Meals from grass, dried lucerne, or dried clover Phosphate mealstuffs Fish meals Tissue residues Poisoned Liver, kidney <2 mg total As/kg FW (Vreman etal. 1986) <4 mg total As/kg FW (Vreman et al. 1986) <10 mg total As/kg FW (Vreman etal. 1986) <10 mg total As/kg FW (Vreman etal. 1986) 5->10 total As/kg FW (Thatcher et al. 1985 Vreman et al. 1986)... 

The chemical form of arsenic in marine environmental samples is of interest from several standpoints. Marine organisms show widely varying concentrations of arsenic [4-6] and knowledge of the chemical forms in which the element occurs in tissues is relevant to the interpretation of these variable degrees of bioaccumulation and to an understanding of the biochemical mechanisms involved. Different arsenic species have different levels of toxicity [7] and bioavailability [8] and this is important in food chain processes, while physicochemical behaviour in processes such as adsorption onto sediments also varies with the species involved [9]. It has... 

Prescribed limits for arsenic in feedstuffs Straight feedstuffs, except those listed below Meals from grass, dried lucerne, or dried clover Phosphate mealstuffs Fish meals Tissue residues Poisoned Liver, kidney... 

The application of high-sensitivity ICP-MS detectors coupled to HPLC has enabled the detection of trace arsenic compounds present in marine animals. Thus, arsenocholine has been reported as a trace constituent (<0.1% of the total arsenic) in fish, molluscs, and crustaceans (37) and was found to be present in appreciable quantities (up to 15%) in some tissues of a marine turtle (110). Earlier reports (46,47) of appreciable concentrations of arsenocholine in some marine animals appear to have been in error (32). Phosphatidylarsenocholine 45 was identified as a trace constituent of lobster digestive gland following hydrolysis of the lipids and detection of GPAC in the hydrolysate by HPLC/ICP-MS analysis (70). It might result from the substitution of choline with arsenocholine in enzyme systems for the biogenesis of phosphatidylcholine (111). 

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