Environmental issues arsenic toxicity

Arsenic in aquatic environments is usually more concentrated in sediments and pore water than in the overlying water column (Ahmann et al., 1997 Smedley and Kinniburgh, 2002 Williams, 2001). The most abundant forms of arsenic are arsenate [As(V)] and arsenite [As(III)], but methylated forms can occur in mine-impacted environments (i.e., methylarsenic acid and dimethylarsenic acid) (Smedley and Kinniburgh, 2002) see Chapter 9.02. The principal pathway of arsenic toxicity is through dietary exposure to sediment and suspended particulates by fish, followed by human consumption. Environmental exposure to arsenic is a causal factor in human carcinogenous and other related health issues. Chronic exposure symptoms in humans include hyperkeratosis, hyperpigmentation, skin malignancies, and peripheral arteriosclerosis. Water provides the dominant pathway for arsenic exposure in humans (Williams, 2001). 

Major environmental trends that we see for land, air, water, and transportation of environmentally hazardous materials are shown in Box 9. These trends require that we get ahead of these issues and lead the chemical industry in the reduction of toxic metal (e.g., Sb, Sn, As) compounds, greenhouse gases, mercury emissions, and sulfur from gasoline and diesel, and find ways to control and sequester C02. Reduction of arsenic, as well as nitrates and ammonia, in drinking water is necessary. It is also imperative in these days of terrorism that we reduce transportation and storage of hazardous materials and continue our drive to develop inherently safer processes. 

Japanese Arsenic Scientists Society (IASS), Arsenic Chemistry, metabolism and toxicity [4]. The JASS symposia resulted in successive volumes as special issues of Applied Organometallic Chemistry, entitled "Natural and industrial arsenic" [5-7] and "Environmental and industrial arsenic" [8,9]. Fowler [10] and Nriagu [11,12] have edited books devoted to the biological and environmental effects of arsenic. Chapters of interest appear in a book edited by Brinckman Bellama [13], and some useful reviews have been published by Phillips [14] Phillips Depledge [15] Maeda Sakaguchi [16] Cullen Reimer [ 17] Maeda [18] Maeda and Takeshita [19] andTakeshitaand Maeda [20]. Arsenic compounds in marine environments are described in many of these books and reviews, but few describe those in freshwater environments. 

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