Health Impacts of even low-level Exposure to Arsenic

Image: Tree Roots Auvers-sur-Oise, July 1890 Vincent van Gogh (1853 - 1890)

Arsenic

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Table of Contents
Introduction & Definitions
Health Impacts
Data Sources and References
Arsenic Health Effects Cards
Main Exposure Routes
Other Arsenic Containing Compounds
Health Attributes Explained
Getting tested for Arsenic in Hair, Water, Soil, Dust & Compost

Introduction

This profile on Arsenic Health Effects serves primarily to educate and caution as to the possible dangers of even low dose exposure. First, a few points to consider...

Does a HIGH level of exposure to a potentially harmful toxin or substance automatically indicate that you will experience an adverse health effect like a disease, cancer or reproduction issues? NO There are other factors involved like genetics, your current and past detoxification capabilities, your gut health, your immune system, nutrient sufficiency, diet, exercise, sauna, sweating and others.

Does a LOW level of exposure to a potentially harmful toxin or substance automatically indicate that you will NOT have an adverse health effect like a disease, cancer or reproduction issues? NO. There are other factors involved like genetics, your current and past detoxification capabilities, your gut health, your immune system, nutrient sufficiency, diet, exercise, sauna, sweating and others.

However, it is important to realise that a low dose of a chemical, when combined with small doses of other chemicals, will create a combined or synergistic effect that can be more harmful than the effect from one of the low dose substances on its own. Additionally, some chemicals accumulate or are stored in the body over time.

The bottom line - get informed - assess the dangers and health effects, know the exposure routes, do what is possible to minimise exposure and optimise detoxification via great nutrition and healthy lifestyle choices.

Definitions

ARSENIC SYNONYMS
Arsenic ion | Arsenic(3+) | Arsenic(3+) ion | Arsenic(III) | Arsenic(III) cation | As | As(3+) | As3+
DEFINITIONS
Inorganic arsenic: Arsenic compounds that don't contain carbon i.e. Arsenic Trioxide
Organic arsenic: Arsenic compounds that contain carbon like arsenobetaine or trimethylarsine. They contain "methyl" components which provide the carbon. Addition of these methyl groups to inorganic arsenic has been considered to render arsenic less harmful. However see part 4 below.
Arsenic species: Arsenic ion, Arsenicals, Arsenic^III, Arsenic^V - see Arsenic Compounds for greater detail
Methylated metabolites: When something toxic is detoxified by the body, intermediate substances (metabolites) are often formed before they are completely eliminated from the body. In some cases the intermediate substances can be just as harmful or even more harmful than the original substance.

Known Evidence-based Health Impacts from Arsenic Exposure

Arsenic is a known Human Carcinogen. It causes cancer. A Carcinogen promotes carcinogenesis, the formation of a cancer, whereby normal cells are transformed into cancer cells. The process is characterized by changes at the metabolic, cellular, genetic, and epigenetic levels and abnormal cell division.
Types of cancers caused by arsenic include Lung Cancer via inhalation of arsenic compounds in the air, Bladder cancers usually via arsenic in drinking water and Skin cancers arising from arsenic containing foods, water or medications and include squamous cell carcinomas arising in keratoses (including Bowen disease), and multiple basal cell carcinomas.
Liver, Prostate and Kidney cancers are also associated with exposure to arsenic, usually via arsenic containing drinking water.
Arsenicals do not react directly with DNA, but cells treated with low concentrations of trivalent arsenicals show increased oxidative DNA damage.
Although not a mutagen, As^III can enhance the mutagenicity of other agents. Co-mutagenesis may occur by interference with both nucleotide-excision repair and base-excision repair

Arsenic poisoning has also been associated with heart disease, (hypertension related cardiovascular), stroke (cerebrovascular diseases), chronic lower respiratory diseases and diabetes. Chronic exposure to arsenic can lead to a vitamin A deficiency which is related to heart disease and night blindness.

Arsenic's bad behaviour in the Cells of our Body

Arsenic and its metabolites disrupt ATP production through several mechanisms. At the level of the citric acid cycle, arsenic inhibits pyruvate dehydrogenase and by competing with phosphate it uncouples oxidative phosphorylation, thus inhibiting energy-linked reduction of NAD+, mitochondrial respiration, and ATP synthesis. Some "Plain Speakin" needed here.
Arsenic can literally suffocate your cells by restricting their ability to respirate i.e. breath. Struggling cells means struggling organs which means struggling you.
Hydrogen peroxide production is also increased, which might form reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress. "In Plain Speakin" oxidative stress has upsides and downsides. Think of exercise. Short bursts of stressful exercise can be beneficial and growth promoting. Intense over-long and often repeated bouts of exercise can lead to long term fatigue and even body injury. Likewise, the most recent findings in the oxidative stress field (2018), highlight both its bad and good sides for human health. On the harmful side "oxidative stress can negatively affect several cellular structures, such as membranes, lipids, proteins, lipoproteins, and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Oxidative stress emerges when an imbalance exists between free radical formation and the capability of cells to clear them." Free radicals are little molecules produced in almost every cell that mediate between the light and dark side of oxidative stress.
Arsenic's carcinogenicity is influenced by the arsenical binding of tubulin, which results in aneuploidy, polyploidy and mitotic arrests. The binding of other arsenic protein targets may also cause altered DNA repair enzyme activity, altered DNA methylation patterns and cell proliferation. "In Plain Speakin" this is all bad news for the integrity of our DNA in each of our cells.

Contrary to the earlier view that methylated compounds are innocuous, the methylated metabolites are now recognized to be both toxic and carcinogenic, possibly due to genotoxicity, inhibition of antioxidative enzyme functions, or other mechanisms.

Arsenic inhibits indirectly sulphur containing enzymes and interferes with cellular metabolism. Effects involve such phenomena as cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and inhibition of enzymes with antioxidant function.

These are related to nutritional factors directly or indirectly. Nutritional studies both in experimental and epidemiological studies provide convincing evidence that nutritional intervention, including chemoprevention, offers a pragmatic approach to mitigate the health effects of arsenic exposure, particularly cancer, in the relatively resource-poor developing countries. Nutritional intervention, especially with micronutrients, many of which are antioxidants and share the same pathway with Arsenic , appears to offer defence against the health effects of arsenic contamination in developing countries and should be embraced as it is pragmatic and inexpensive.

Selenium has been found to be useful in this regard.

A Hazardous Substance that may be found in the Australian Workplace. Check with your employer or health and safety officer. Stay informed and become aware of the dangers that surround you. This chemical is included on the list of recognised hazardous chemicals from the Safe Work Australia - Hazardous Substances Information System (HSIS) that is based on the Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS)

SYMPTOMS: Exposure to lower levels of arsenic can cause nausea and vomiting, decreased production of red and white blood cells, abnormal heart rhythm, damage to blood vessels, and a sensation of “pins and needles” in hands and feet. Breathing high levels of inorganic arsenic can give you a sore throat or irritated lungs. Arsenic also affects the brain, causing neurological disturbances such as headaches, confusion, and drowsiness.

DATA SOURCES
ARTICLE 4 | T3DB | PubChem | IARC | NTP | EPA_IRIS | TEDX | EPA in USA | Safe Work Australia - Hazardous Substances Information System (HSIS)
Additional REFERENCES:
ARSENIC AND ARSENIC COMPOUNDS (WHO)
Oxidative Stress: Harms and Benefits for Human Health (NCBI)
LAST UPDATE: 1st July 2018

Arsenic Human & Environmental
Health Effects Cards

Each coloured card shows the evidence based effect of arsenic on either Humans, animals or the environment.

Known Human Carcinogen

This is a serious nasty substance. Exposure to this substance leads to cancer in Humans. Exercise extreme caution with this substance, explore your exposure routes and very seriously consider complete avoidance. See further details under "Health Attributes Explained".

Endocrine Disrupter

Interferes with your hormones. Hormones are powerful messengers that can bind to DNA. You don't want to mess with them.

Reproductive Effects

Interferes with fertility

Metabolic Interference or Disruption

Interferes with human metabolism. This can be a very serious thing. Some of these interference mechanics are well established. However, often long term effects and health consequences remain largely unknown. Additionally an emerging area of concern and one that is not currently studied, is the combined synergistic effects these metabolically disrupting chemicals have on human health.

Metabolic interference happens when the substance produces highly reactive and often damaging intermediates during detoxification or when the substance binds to specific enzymes, important structural groups on molecules, receptors and membranes or targets DNA or mimics key nutrients.

Exposure Produces Health Symptoms

Symptoms maybe short term or long term depending on the exposure duration and intensity and effects areas like Cardiovascular, Gastrointestinal, Cognition, Fatigue. A substance with this attribute may cause an allergic skin reaction, serious eye irritation, allergy or asthma symptoms or breathing difficulties if inhaled.

Serious Acute Effects

This is a serious nasty substance. Effects are Acute (seen immediately). Substances in this category may be FATAL or acutely toxic if inhaled, skin contact or swallowed. See further details.

Toxic to specific organs

Can damage liver, kidney, lungs, heart or gut. Ironically liver, kidneys and gut are the main detoxifications systems.

Toxic to Wildlife

May kill plants, fish, birds or other animals and insects or may be very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects. This then effects delicate environmental ecology and food supply in ways we don't fully understand yet.

Arsenic
Exposure Routes

Extensive Toxno Report

Main Exposure Routes

Arsenic Exposure Routes

Additional Toxno Arsenic sources
The number of chemicals with 2 or more Health Effects Cards in an exposure route is shown in orange. They grey badge shows the total amount of chemicals within the exposure route.