Arsenic Exposure

Subject : Environment

Section: Pollution

Concept :

A recent peer-reviewed study suggests that even low levels of arsenic consumption may impact cognitive function in children, adolescents, and young adults.

Arsenic

Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As and atomic number 33.
Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in combination with sulfur and metals, but also as a pure elemental crystal.
Arsenic is a metalloid. It has various allotropes, but only the gray form, which has a metallic appearance, is important to industry.
The primary use of arsenic is in alloys of lead(for example, in car batteries and ammunition).
Arsenic is a common n-type dopant in semiconductor electronic devices. It is also a component of the III-V compound semiconductor gallium arsenide.
Arsenic and its compounds, especially the trioxide, are used in the production of pesticides, treated wood products, herbicides, and insecticides.
These applications are declining with the increasing recognition of the toxicity of arsenic and its compounds.

Impact of Arsenic Contamination

Arsenic is highly toxic in its inorganic
People are exposed to elevated levels of inorganic arsenic through drinking contaminated water, using contaminated water in food preparation and irrigation of food crops, industrial processes, eating contaminated food and smoking tobacco.
Long-term exposure to inorganic arsenic, mainly through drinking-water and food, can lead to chronic arsenic poisoning. Skin lesions and skin cancer are the most characteristic effects.

What Is the Permissible Limit?

The recommended limit is 10 10ug/l. Arsenic contamination in communities across India has increased by 145 per cent in the past five years, according to a report by The Guardian.
In rural parts of the country, it is wreaking havoc in the lives of people.
Arsenic contamination in India was widespread in the 1990s in West Bengal and later in Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Manipur.