What causes arsenic contamination?

Sources of exposure It is highly toxic in its inorganic form. People are exposed to elevated levels of inorganic arsenic through drinking contaminated water, using contaminated water in food preparation and irrigation of food crops, industrial processes, eating contaminated food and smoking tobacco.

What does arsenic pollute?

Many common arsenic compounds can dissolve in water, thus arsenic can contaminate lakes, rivers, or underground water by dissolving in rain, snow, or through discarded industrial wastes. Therefore, arsenic contamination in ground water is a serious public health threat worldwide.

What do you mean by arsenic contamination?

Arsenic poisoning, or arsenicosis, occurs after the ingestion or inhalation of high levels of arsenic. Arsenic is a type of carcinogen that’s gray, silver, or white in color. Arsenic is extremely poisonous to humans.

What is the source of the arsenic contamination in India?

(v) The arsenic groundwater contamination is attributed to the geogenic origin, and the source of arsenic in localized patches is due to presence of Arsenopyrite in clay and sand. Arsenic concentration is more in clay than in sand.

What is arsenic and can it harm you?

Arsenic is a natural metalloid chemical that may be present in groundwater. Ingestion only poses health problems if a dangerous amount of arsenic enters the body. Then, it can lead to cancer, liver

Does arsenic have any harmful effects to humans?

Soluble inorganic arsenic can have immediate toxic effects. Ingestion of large amounts can lead to gastrointestinal symptoms such as severe vomiting, disturbances of the blood and circulation, damage to the nervous system, and eventually death.

What is an acceptable level of arsenic?

It is used for monitoring the level of blood arsenic. The normal value for both men and women of all age groups is 0–12 ng/ml. If it is higher than the normal value (>12 ng/ml), it shows a significant exposure.

How much arsenic is bad?

Long term exposure to drinking water containing arsenic at levels higher than 10 ppb increases the chances of getting cancer; for lower levels the chances are less. If your water has arsenic levels above 10 ppb, you should get drinking water from another source or install a home treatment device.