Contents
How does arsenicosis affect the human body?
Long-term exposure to arsenic from drinking-water and food can cause cancer and skin lesions. It has also been associated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes. In utero and early childhood exposure has been linked to negative impacts on cognitive development and increased deaths in young adults.
What is mean by arsenicosis?
Arsenic poisoning, or arsenicosis, occurs after the ingestion or inhalation of high levels of arsenic. Arsenic is a type of carcinogen that’s gray, silver, or white in color. Arsenic is extremely poisonous to humans.
What is the difference between acute and chronic arsenic poisoning?
Acute arsenic poisoning is associated initially with nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and severe diarrhoea. Encephalopathy and peripheral neuropathy are reported. Chronic arsenic toxicity results in multisystem disease. Arsenic is a well documented human carcinogen affecting numerous organs.
How do you test for chronic arsenic exposure?
For recent and chronic exposure, the 24-hour urine collection for arsenic is the most useful laboratory test. Organic arsenic from recent seafood ingestion (last 48 hours) may produce a positive urine test for total arsenic. Arsenic Speciation testing can be requested, but may not be readily available.
What are the potential health effects of Arsenous acid exposure?
Chronic skin effects include: cracking, thickening, pigmentation, and drying of the skin. Arsenic trioxide can cause cancer in humans. Other long term effects include: anemia, liver and kidney damage. Chronic exposure to arsenical dust may cause shortness of breath, nausea, chest pains, and garlic odor.
Where is arsenic in everyday life?
Organic arsenic compounds are found mainly in fish and shellfish. In the past, inorganic forms of arsenic were used in pesticides and paint pigment. They were also used as wood preservatives and as a treatment for a variety of ailments. Today, usage of arsenic-containing pesticides and wood preservatives is restricted.
What is Arsenicosis discuss its removal technique?
You can remove arsenic from your water by using a water cooler with reverse osmosis built-in, a process that forces water through a semi-permeable membrane under pressure that will leave contaminants behind and dispense more pure and healthy drinking water.
How is chronic arsenic poisoning treated?
There is no specific treatment for chronic arsenic poisoning. Once it has been identified further exposure should be avoided. Smoking should cease as the risk of lung and bladder cancer is markedly increased in smokers with chronic arsenic poisoning.
Which form of arsenic is most toxic?
One of the simplest arsenic compound is the trihydride, the highly toxic, flammable, pyrophoric arsine (AsH3). This compound is generally regarded as stable, since at room temperature it decomposes only slowly.
Which of the following disease could be found in cases of chronic arsenic toxicity?
Cancers of the skin, lungs, and bladder have been confirmed to be associated with arsenic exposure, while human data on liver cancer, kidney cancer, prostate cancer, and leukemia are limited. For diabetes and other disorders, further research regarding its non-carcinogenic toxicity is needed.
Is there any cure for Arsenicosis?
Arsenic is a natural metalloid chemical that may be present in groundwater. Ingestion only poses health problems if a dangerous amount of arsenic enters the body. Then, it can lead to cancer, liver disease, coma, and death. Treatment involves bowel irrigation, medication, and chelation therapy.