1. Overview
Introduction to Arsenic
The symbol for arsenic is As. The atomic number of arsenic is 33, the atomic weight is 75. Arsenic occurs naturally in our environment in inorganic and organic forms. Inorganic arsenic occurs combined with metals in igneous and sedimentary rocks; and also combined with elements like oxygen, chlorine, and sulfur. Organic arsenic occurs combined with carbon and hydrogen. Both organic and inorganic arsenic compounds exist as white or silvery powder materials with no smell or unique taste.
Arsenic has been recognized since ancient times, from around 3000 BC, to be acutely poisonous. When dissolved in water it is colorless with no taste or smell. Anyone who drinks water at 60 milligrams per liter (60 mg/liter) or 60 parts per million (60 ppm) will soon die.
In the civil war time, arsenic was used in embalming fluids used to preserve the bodies of fallen soldiers, a procedure that was done right on the battlefields. In the 1930’s and 1940’s arsenic was a very common component in pesticides used on apple trees. During the present time, arsenic is a common ingredient used in pressure treated wood (PTW) that is used for ALL outdoor wooden structures, including playground equipment, picnic tables in parks, patio decks and porches, telephone poles, fences, and many more uses.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have set the limits of arsenic in drinking water to be 10 parts per billion (ppb). As a result of the regulations set by the WHO and EPA, there has been a ban on the new production of pressure treated wood (PTW) containing arsenic.
How safe are we and our environment from arsenic contamination?
There are millions of places where pressure treated wood is currently in use in the united states, and the EPA is allowing all manufacturers to sell all the arsenic containing pressure treated wood they have in stock until all stockpiles are sold. Some public parks have quietly replaced playground equipment made of pressure treated wood, but many have not
Arsenic from natural and manmade sources has gotten into many of our water sources, especially well water sources. As a result, both inorganic and organic arsenic compounds can be found in soils, plants, animals, and humans.
Arsenic does not degrade nor can it be destroyed.
It is not known how arsenic contamination has affected individuals in the United States.
To learn more about the illnesses caused by arsenic, scientists are studying the country of Bangladesh, where the entire population is suffering from arsenic poisoning from well water.
There are countless studies linking arsenic to many illnesses from skin rashes, diabetes, lung & kidney problems, to various forms of cancer.