Title: Arsenic — The Collaborative on Health and the Environment
Headings: Arsenic
Arsenic
Production and Uses
Wood Preservative
Pesticide
Other Uses
Chemical and Biological Properties
Metabolism of Arsenic
Health Effects
Acute Exposure
Chronic Exposure
Cancer Classification
Vulnerable Populations
Exposure
Background Exposures
Food Exposure
Water Exposure
Pressure-treated Wood
Tobacco
Reducing Exposure
Regulatory Standards
Brief History

Content: Arsenic — The Collaborative on Health and the Environment

Arsenic
The information on this page is adapted from toxipedia.org. To learn more about Toxipedia’s integration into our website, visit our Toxipedia webpage. Arsenic is a naturally occuring chemical with several common uses and a range of health impacts. Arsenic poisoning from well water remains a serious worldwide human health concern. People long ago recognized that depending on the dose, arsenic could either treat an illness or be used as a poison to cause death. Its medicinal use to treat syphilis and amebic dysentery ended with the introduction of penicillin and other antibiotics in the twentieth century. Arsenic-based compounds are currently used to treat some forms of cancer. As a poison, arsenic trioxide (As 2 O 3) has several desirable qualities: it looks like sugar and is tasteless, and only a fraction of a gram can kill an adult. Production and Uses
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