Title: Arsenic and Cancer Risk
Headings: Arsenic and Cancer Risk
Arsenic and Cancer Risk
What is arsenic?
How are people exposed to arsenic?
In food
In drinking water
At work
In the community
In pressure-treated wood
Does arsenic cause cancer?
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
The US National Toxicology Program (NTP)
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Other health effects of arsenic
Are arsenic levels regulated?
Can I limit my exposure to arsenic?
In drinking water
In foods
At work
From pressure-treated wood
To learn more

Content: For more detailed information, see the NTP’s Report on Carcinogens entry on Arsenic and Inorganic Arsenic Compounds. US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
The EPA maintains the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), an electronic database that contains information on human health effects from exposure to various substances in the environment. The EPA classifies inorganic arsenic as a “human carcinogen,” based on evidence in human studies of links to lung, bladder, kidney, skin, and liver cancers. To learn more about how cancer causes are studied and classified, see Known and Probable Human Carcinogens and Understanding Cancer Causes. Other health effects of arsenic
Both short- and long-term exposure to arsenic can also cause other health problems. For example: Breathing in high levels of arsenic can cause a sore throat and irritated lungs. Swallowing high levels of arsenic can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle weakness and cramping, skin rashes, and other problems. Exposure to high enough amounts of arsenic can be fatal. Exposure to lower levels of arsenic over longer periods of time can cause skin changes, liver and kidney damage, and a shortage of red and white blood cells, which can lead to fatigue and an increased risk of infections
Are arsenic levels regulated?