Arsenic

Environmental Encyclopedia, October, 2005

Arsenic is an element having an atomic number of 33 and an atomic weight of 74.9216 that is listed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a hazardous substance ( Hazardous waste numbers P010, P012) and as a carcinogen . The Merck Index states that the symptoms of acute poisoning following arsenic ingestion are irritation of the gastrointestinal tract, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea that can progress to shock and death. According to the 2001 Update Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology, such toxic presentations generally require weeks to months of exposure to arsenic at high doses, as much as 0.04mg/kg/day (0.02mg/lb/day). Furthermore, long-term, or chronic poisoning can result in skin thickening, exfoliation, and hyperpigmentation. Continuing exposure also has...

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