China
Africa
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
Environmental Toxins
Published in Gia Merlo, Kathy Berra, Lifestyle Nursing, 2023
Arsenic is a naturally occurring element present in the Earth’s crust. It is found in organic and inorganic forms. The inorganic forms are toxic to humans. Arsenic has been discovered in ground water and in the food supply—mainly in rice and poultry. Much of the contamination in groundwater is a result of the use of arsenic-based pesticides and wood preservatives. Although inorganic arsenic-based pesticides have not been used in the United States for decades, the residues still exist in soil today. Pesticides and fertilizers with organic forms of arsenic are still used in farming (Streit, 2021).
Arsenic Toxicity
Published in Charles Theisler, Adjuvant Medical Care, 2023
Acute arsenic toxicity is most frequently caused by accidental ingestion of pesticides or an attempted suicide. Complications of acute arsenic toxicity may include hemolysis, skin rash, Mees lines in the nails, toxic cardiomyopathy, vomiting, loss of appetite, and abdominal pain, diarrhea, and black water urine (dark urine). In acute poisoning, hemodynamic stabilization is of primary importance. Acute arsenic poisoning can lead to cancer, liver disease, coma, and death. Medical treatment of arsenic poisoning typically involves bowel irrigation, medication, and chelation therapy.
Inhalation Toxicity of Metal Particles and Vapors
Published in Jacob Loke, Pathophysiology and Treatment of Inhalation Injuries, 2020
Arsine (AsH3), the hydride of arsenic, is one of the more toxic arsenic compounds. Arsine may be generated when acids are combined with arsenic-containing metals. Poisoning by arsine is the principal source of industrial arsenic poisoning today and has been reported in connection with the refining or processing of tin, lead, and zinc. Poisonings from this source have dire consequences because arsine causes severe and extensive hemolysis, and the inadequacy of available therapy. Exposures as low as 10 ppm have produced delirium, coma, and death. If the exposure is not fatal, the signs of chronic arsenic poisoning may appear. Chronic inhalation of AsH3 at subtoxic levels by laboratory animals leads to hemolysis of erythrocytes, leading to death from chemical asphyxia. Irritation from arsine also results in pulmonary edema.
Cell cycle dysregulation on prenatal and postnatal arsenic exposure in skin of Wistar rat neonates
Published in Xenobiotica, 2023
Navneet Kumar, Astha Mathur, Suresh Kumar Bunker, Placheril J. John
Arsenic (atomic number − 33, relative atomic mass − 74.92) is a metalloid prevalent in earth’s crust as the 20th most common element (IARC Working Group on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans 2012). It is found in air, water, soil and sediments. Arsenic can exist in oxidation states of −3, 0, +3 and +5; most commonly present as arsenate (+5) in oxygenated environments and as arsenite (+3) in reducing or anaerobic conditions (WHO 2001). Primary arsenic exposure to humans can occur via food and water; other routes may include occupational exposure (industries) and smoking. Contamination of arsenic in drinking water is a major health concern globally, affecting people worldwide (Hunt et al. 2014; Sage et al. 2017). WHO has recommended 10 µg/l (10 ppb) as maximum limit of contamination for arsenic in drinking water (WHO 2011). Groundwater of several countries is reported to have elevated levels of arsenic such as China, Argentina, Chile, United States of America, Mexico, India and Bangladesh (IARC Working Group on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans 2012; Hunt et al. 2014; Karagas et al. 2015; Bjørklund et al. 2018).
Evaluation of possible protective role of Chrysin against arsenic-induced nephrotoxicity in rats
Published in Toxin Reviews, 2022
Muhammad Umar Ijaz, Faryal Jabeen, Asma Ashraf, Muhammad Imran, Nazia Ehsan, Abdul Samad, Muhammad Kashif Saleemi, Javed Iqbal
DNA injury was observed in renal cells of arsenic intoxicated albino rats through comet assay. Comet assay is a simple method for measuring DNA damage (Azqueta et al. 2013). Many toxicity-mediators exert DNA damaging effects through ROS production, which break down its helical structures and also disturb the DNA integrity (Baş et al. 2016, Mujahid et al. 2021). In the current study considerable changes were observed in comet length, head length, tail length, tail moment, % DNA in tail in the kidney cells of rat, presenting a high level of damage followed by arsenic exposure. Free radicals triggers the metal ions to discharge reactive ions which can cause DNA damage (Dasheng et al. 2001). It is still unclear that arsenic reacts directly with DNA or not, but it has been proposed that arsenic induces DNA damage instigating single and double‐strand breaks (Hei et al. 1998, Guillamet 2004). Previous investigations have reported that arsenic causes biological dysfunctions by increasing DNA disruption and reducing antioxidant defence mechanism (Kligerman et al. 2010). Co-treatment with chrysin restored the comet parameters toward normal. Our results are in line with Manzolli et al. (2015), who reported that chrysin effectively protected methylmercury-induced genotoxicity in male rats.
Ameliorative role of inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitors against sodium arsenite-induced renal and hepatic dysfunction in rats
Published in Drug and Chemical Toxicology, 2022
Ashwani Kumar Sharma, Anmoldeep Kaur, Tajpreet Kaur, Sarabjit Kaur, Devendra Pathak, Amrit Pal Singh
Arsenic toxicity is a major health hazard worldwide and estimated 200 million people are exposed to higher arsenic levels in drinking water than maximum exposure limit of 50 µg/L recommended by World Health Organization (WHO). Although, reports of ground water contamination are available for more than 30 countries in different continents, the Gangetic plain covering West Bengal and Bangladesh has posed as worst case of arsenic led toxicity (Chakraborti et al. 2003). Apart from West Bengal, other states including Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and north eastern states in India have arsenic level above the WHO upper permissible limit of 50 µg/L. Exposure to arsenic has been documented to result in hepatic and renal damage in preclinical and clinical studies (Hsu et al. 2017, Mehrzadi et al. 2018, Tsai et al.2018, Gholamine et al. 2019, Yang et al.2019).