Jump to content

Arsenic poisoning

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Xaminmo (talk | contribs) at 14:53, 20 September 2012 (→‎Drinking water: Correcting association of 0.00017 with arsenic2 study in second paragraph, rather than arsenicosis reference above. Verified URL and updated access date.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Arsenic poisoning
SpecialtyEmergency medicine Edit this on Wikidata

Arsenic poisoning is a medical condition caused by elevated levels of the arsenic ions in the body. The dominant basis of arsenic poisoning is from ground water that naturally contains high concentrations of arsenic. A 2007 study found that over 137 million people in more than 70 countries are probably affected by arsenic poisoning of drinking water.

Signs and symptoms

Symptoms of arsenic poisoning begin with headaches, confusion, severe diarrhea, and drowsiness. As the poisoning develops, convulsions and changes in fingernail pigmentation called leukonychia may occur. When the poisoning becomes acute, symptoms may include diarrhea, vomiting, blood in the urine, cramping muscles, hair loss, stomach pain, and more convulsions. The organs of the body that are usually affected by arsenic poisoning are the lungs, skin, kidneys, and liver. The final result of arsenic poisoning is coma to death.[citation needed]

Arsenic is related to heart disease[1] (hypertension related cardiovascular), cancer,[2] stroke[3] (cerebrovascular diseases), chronic lower respiratory diseases,[4] and diabetes.[5][6]

Night blindness

Long term exposure to arsenic is related to vitamin A deficiency which is related to heart disease and night blindness.[7]

Research has shown that the inorganic arsenites (trivalent forms) in drinking water have a much higher acute toxicity than organic arsenates (pentavalent forms).[8] The acute minimal lethal dose of arsenic in adults is estimated to be 70 to 200 mg or 1 mg/kg/day.[9] Most reported arsenic poisonings are caused by one of arsenic's compounds, also found in drinking water, arsenic trioxide which is 500 times more toxic than pure arsenic.

Exposure modalities

Drinking water

Chronic arsenic poisoning results from drinking contaminated well water over a long period of time. Many aquifers contain high concentration of arsenic salts.[10] The World Health Organization recommends a limit of 0.01 mg/L (10ppb) of arsenic in drinking water. This recommendation was established based on the limit of detection of available testing equipment at the time of publication of the WHO water quality guidelines.

More recent findings show that consumption of water with levels as low as 0.00017 mg/L (0.17ppb) over long periods of time can lead to arsenicosis. From a 1988 study in China, the US protection agency quantified the lifetime exposure of arsenic in drinking water at concentrations of 0.0017 mg/L, 0.00017 mg/L, and 0.000017 mg/L are associated with a lifetime skin cancer risk of 1 in 10,000, 1 in 100,000, and 1 in 1,000,000 respectively. The World Health Organization contends that a level of 0.01 mg/L poses a risk of 6 in 10000 chance of lifetime skin cancer risk and contends that this level of risk is acceptable.[11]

Occupational exposures

Industries that use inorganic arsenic and its compounds include wood preservation, glass production, nonferrous metal alloys, and electronic semiconductor manufacturing. Inorganic arsenic is also found in coke oven emissions associated with the smelter industry.[12]

Occupational exposure to arsenic may occur with copper or lead smelting and wood treatment, among workers involved in the production or application of pesticides containing organic arsenicals. Humans are exposed to arsenic through air, drinking water, and food (meat, fish, and poultry); poultry is usually the largest source of food-based arsenic ingestion due to usage of certain antibiotics in chicken feed. Arsenic was also found in wine if arsenic pesticides are used in the vineyard. Arsenic is well absorbed by oral and inhalation routes, widely distributed and excreted in urine; most of a single, low-level dose is excreted within a few days after consuming any form of inorganic arsenic. Remains of arsenic in nails (which show as white spots and lines) and hair can be detected years after the exposure.[citation needed]

Food

China is the only country to have set a standard for arsenic limits in food (150 ppb)[13], as levels in rice exceed those in water[14] It has been found that rice is particularly susceptible to arsenic poisoning.[15] Rice grown in US has an average 260 ppb of arsenic according to a study.[16]

History

In addition to its presence as a poison, for centuries arsenic was used medicinally. It has been used for over 2,400 years as a part of traditional Chinese medicine.[17] In the western world, arsenic was used extensively to treat syphilis before penicillin was introduced. It was eventually replaced as a therapeutic agent by sulfa drugs and then by other antibiotics. Arsenic was also an ingredient in many tonics (or "patent medicines").

In addition, during the Elizabethan era, some women used a mixture of vinegar, chalk, and arsenic applied topically to whiten their skin. This use of arsenic was intended to prevent aging and creasing of the skin, but some arsenic was inevitably absorbed into the blood stream.[citation needed]

Some pigments, most notably the popular Emerald Green (known also under several other names), were based on arsenic compounds. Overexposure to these pigments was a frequent cause of accidental poisoning of artists and craftsmen. One of the biggest unintentional cases of arsenic poisoning via well water consumption is in Bangladesh and called by the World Health Organization as the "largest mass poisoning of a population in history."[18]

Arsenic became a favorite murder weapon of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, particularly among ruling classes in Italy allegedly. Because the symptoms are similar to those of cholera, which was common at the time, arsenic poisoning often went undetected.[19] By the 19th century, it had acquired the nickname "inheritance powder," perhaps because impatient heirs were known or suspected to use it to ensure or accelerate their inheritances.[20]

In ancient Korea, and particularly in Joseon Dynasty, arsenic-sulfur compounds have been used as a major ingredient of sayak (사약; 賜藥), which was a poison cocktail used in capital punishment of high-profile political figures and members of the royal family.[21]  Due to social and political prominence of the condemned, many of these events were well-documented, often in the Annals of Joseon Dynasty; they are sometimes portrayed in historical television miniseries because of their dramatic nature.[22]

On April 27, 2003, sixteen members of the Gustaf Adolph Lutheran Church in New Sweden, Maine, became ill following the church coffee hour; one man, Reid Morrill, died a short time later. It was found that the coffee had been heavily laced with arsenic, setting off a flurry of local gossip and hysteria and worldwide media coverage. As of the 2005 publication of journalist Christine Ellen Young's book, A Bitter Brew: Faith, Power and Poison in a Small New England Town, no one had been charged with the crime, but Young's book revealed that lifelong church member Daniel Bondeson, who shot himself at his family farm five days after the poisoning, left a note confessing sole responsibility for the crime. Bondeson died while undergoing surgery, leaving Maine State Police and many church members convinced someone had helped Bondeson. Young's book rejected the conspiracy theory, citing evidence that the well-liked Bondeson had a dark side, harboring bitter grudges and battling emotional problems. In 2006, the Maine Attorney General agreed that Bondeson had acted alone and closed the case.[citation needed]

Notable cases

Arsenic poisoning, accidental or deliberate, has been implicated in the illness and death of a number of prominent people throughout history.

King Faisal the 1st of Iraq (King Faisal bin Al Husain)

According to his British nurse, Lady Badget, he suffered from similar symptoms to Arsenic poisoning during his last visit to Switzerland for treatment in 1938 at the age of 48. His Swiss doctors found him in a very healthy situation a day before.[23]

Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany

Recent forensic evidence uncovered by Italian scientists suggests that Francesco and his wife were poisoned possibly by his brother and successor Ferdinando.[24]

George III of Great Britain

George III's (1738–1820) personal health was a concern throughout his long reign. He suffered from periodic episodes of physical and mental illness, five of them disabling enough to require the King to withdraw from his duties. In 1969, researchers asserted that the episodes of madness and other physical symptoms were characteristic of the disease porphyria, which was also identified in members of his immediate and extended family. In addition, a 2004 study of samples of the King's hair[25] revealed extremely high levels of arsenic, which is a possible trigger of disease symptoms. A 2005 article in the medical journal The Lancet[26] suggested the source of the arsenic could be the antimony used as a consistent element of the King's medical treatment. The two minerals are often found in the same ground, and mineral extraction at the time was not precise enough to eliminate arsenic from compounds containing antimony.

Napoleon Bonaparte

It has been suggested that Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821) suffered and died from arsenic poisoning during his imprisonment on the island of Saint Helena. Forensic samples of his hair did show high levels, 13 times the normal amount, of the element. This, however, does not prove deliberate poisoning by Napoleon's enemies: copper arsenite has been used as a pigment in some wallpapers, and microbiological liberation of the arsenic into the immediate environment would be possible. The case is equivocal in the absence of clearly authenticated samples of the wallpaper. Samples of hair taken during Napoleon's lifetime also show levels of arsenic, so that arsenic from the soil could not have polluted the post-mortem sample. Even without contaminated wallpaper or soil, commercial use of arsenic at the time provided many other routes by which Napoleon could have consumed enough arsenic to leave this forensic trace.[27]

Simón Bolívar

South American independence leader Simón Bolívar (1783–1830), according to Dr. Paul Auwaerter from the Division of Infectious Diseases in the Department of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, may have died due to chronic arsenic poisoning further complicated by bronchiectasis and lung cancer.[28][29] Dr. Auwaerter has considered murder and acute arsenic poisoning unlikely, arguing that gradual "environmental contact with arsenic would have been entirely possible" as a result of drinking contaminated water in Peru or through the medicinal use of arsenic -which was common at the time- as Bolívar had reportedly resorted to it during the treatment for some of his illnesses.[28]

Charles Francis Hall

American explorer Charles Francis Hall (1821–1871) died unexpectedly during his third Arctic expedition aboard the ship Polaris. After returning to the ship from a sledging expedition Hall drank a cup of coffee and fell violently ill.[30] He collapsed in what was described as a fit. He suffered from vomiting and delirium for the next week, then seemed to improve for a few days. He accused several of the ship's company, including ship's physician Dr. Emil Bessels with whom he had longstanding disagreements, of having poisoned him.[30] Shortly thereafter, Hall again began suffering the same symptoms, died, and was taken ashore for burial. Following the expedition's return a US Navy investigation ruled that Hall had died from apoplexy.[31]

In 1968, however, Hall's biographer Chauncey C. Loomis, a professor at Dartmouth College, traveled to Greenland to exhume Hall's body. Due to the permafrost, Hall's body, flag shroud, clothing and coffin were remarkably well preserved. Tissue samples of bone, fingernails and hair showed that Hall died of poisoning from large doses of arsenic in the last two weeks of his life,[32] consistent with the symptoms party members reported. It is possible that Hall dosed himself with quack medicines which included the poison, but it is possible that he was murdered by Dr. Bessels or one of the other members of the expedition.[33]

Huo Yuan Jia

Huo Yuan Jia made his name as a Chinese martial artist. There was rumour that he was poisoned in 1910.[citation needed]

Clare Boothe Luce

Clare Boothe Luce, (1903–1987) the American ambassador to Italy 1953–1956, did not die from arsenic poisoning, but suffered an increasing variety of physical and psychological symptoms until arsenic was implicated. Its source was traced to the flaking arsenic-laden paint on the ceiling of her bedroom. She may also have eaten food contaminated by arsenic in flaking ceiling paint in the embassy dining room.[34]

Impressionist painters

Emerald Green, a pigment frequently used by Impressionist painters, contains arsenic. Cézanne developed severe diabetes, which is a symptom of chronic arsenic poisoning. Monet's blindness and Van Gogh's neurological disorders could have been partially due to their use of Emerald Green. Poisoning by other commonly used substances, including liquor and absinthe, lead pigments, mercury-based Vermilion, and solvents such as turpentine, could also be a factor in these cases.

Emperor Guangxu

Recent testing in the People's Republic of China has confirmed that China's second-to-last emperor was poisoned with a massive dose of arsenic; suspects include his dying aunt, the Empress Dowager Cixi, and her strongman, Yuan Shikai.[citation needed]

Phar Lap

The famous and largely successful Australian racehorse Phar Lap died suddenly in 1932. Poisoning was considered as a cause of death and several forensic examinations were completed at the time of death. In a recent examination, 75 years after his death, forensic scientists determined that the horse had ingested a massive dose of arsenic shortly before his death.[35]

Pathophysiology

Arsenic interferes with cellular longevity by allosteric inhibition of an essential metabolic enzyme pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) complex, which catalyzes the oxidation of pyruvate to acetyl-CoA by NAD+. With the enzyme inhibited, the energy system of the cell is disrupted resulting in a cellular apoptosis episode. Biochemically, arsenic prevents use of thiamine resulting in a clinical picture resembling thiamine deficiency. Poisoning with arsenic can raise lactate levels and lead to lactic acidosis. Low potassium levels in the cells increases the risk of experiencing a life-threatening heart rhythm problem from arsenic trioxide. Arsenic in cells clearly stimulates the production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). When the H2O2 reacts with certain metals such as iron or manganese it produces a highly reactive hydroxyl radical. Inorganic arsenic trioxide found in ground water particularly affects voltage-gated potassium channels,[36] disrupting cellular electrolytic function resulting in neurological disturbances, cardiovascular episodes such as prolonged QT interval, neutropenia, high blood pressure,[37] central nervous system dysfunction, anemia, and death. Arsenic is a ubiquitous element present in American drinking water.[38]

Arsenic exposure plays a key role in the pathogenesis of vascular endothelial dysfunction as it inactivates endothelial nitric oxide synthase, leading to reduction in the generation and bioavailability of nitric oxide. In addition, the chronic arsenic exposure induces high oxidative stress, which may affect the structure and function of cardiovascular system. Further, the arsenic exposure has been noted to induce atherosclerosis by increasing the platelet aggregation and reducing fibrinolysis. Moreover, arsenic exposure may cause arrhythmia by increasing the QT interval and accelerating the cellular calcium overload. The chronic exposure to arsenic upregulates the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule and vascular endothelial growth factor to induce cardiovascular pathogenesis.

— Pitchai Balakumar1 and Jagdeep Kaur, "Arsenic Exposure and Cardiovascular Disorders: An Overview", Cardiovascular Toxicology, December 2009[39]

Tissue culture studies have shown that arsenic blocks both IKr and Iks channels and, at the same time, activates IK-ATP channels. Arsenic also disrupts 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. Hydrogen peroxide production is also increased, which might form reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress. These metabolic interferences lead to death from multi-system organ failure, probably from necrotic cell death, not apoptosis. A post mortem reveals brick red colored mucosa, due to severe hemorrhage. Although arsenic causes toxicity, it can also play a protective role.[40]

Diagnosis

Arsenic may be measured in blood or urine to monitor excessive environmental or occupational exposure, confirm a diagnosis of poisoning in hospitalized victims or to assist in the forensic investigation in a case of fatal over dosage. Some analytical techniques are capable of distinguishing organic from inorganic forms of the element. Organic arsenic compounds tend to be eliminated in the urine in unchanged form, while inorganic forms are largely converted to organic arsenic compounds in the body prior to urinary excretion. The current biological exposure index for U.S. workers of 35 µg/L total urinary arsenic may easily be exceeded by a healthy person eating a seafood meal.[41]

There are tests available to diagnose poisoning by measuring arsenic in blood, urine, hair, and fingernails. The urine test is the most reliable test for arsenic exposure within the last few days. Urine testing needs to be done within 24–48 hours for an accurate analysis of an acute exposure. Tests on hair and fingernails can measure exposure to high levels of arsenic over the past 6–12 months. These tests can determine if one has been exposed to above-average levels of arsenic. They cannot predict, however, whether the arsenic levels in the body will affect health.[42] Chronic arsenic exposure can remain in the body systems for a longer period of time than a shorter term or more isolated exposure and can be detected in a longer time frame after the introduction of the arsenic, important in trying to determine the source of the exposure.

Hair is a potential bioindicator for arsenic exposure due to its ability to store trace elements from blood. Incorporated elements maintain their position during growth of hair. Thus for a temporal estimation of exposure, an assay of hair composition needs to be carried out with a single hair which is not possible with older techniques requiring homogenization and dissolution of several strands of hair. This type of biomonitoring has been achieved with newer microanalytical techniques like Synchroton radiation based X ray fluorescence (SXRF) spectroscopy and Microparticle induced X ray emission (PIXE).The highly focused and intense beams study small spots on biological samples allowing analysis to micro level along with the chemical speciation. In a study, this method has been used to follow arsenic level before, during and after treatment with Arsenious oxide in patients with Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia.[43]

Treatment

Chelation

Chemical and synthetic methods are now used to treat arsenic poisoning. Dimercaprol and dimercaptosuccinic acid are chelating agents which sequester the arsenic away from blood proteins and are used in treating acute arsenic poisoning. The most important side effect is hypertension. Dimercaprol is considerably more toxic than succimer.[citation needed][44]

Mineral supplements

Supplemental potassium decreases the risk of experiencing a life-threatening heart rhythm problem from arsenic trioxide.[45]

Nutritional intervention

Rats daily dosed with arsenic in their water, in levels equivalent to those found in groundwater in Bangladesh and West Bengal were found to respond to garlic extracts, with 40 percent less arsenic in their blood and liver, and passed 45 percent more arsenic in their urine. The conclusion is that sulfur-containing substances in garlic scavenge arsenic from tissues and blood. The presentation concludes that people in areas at risk of arsenic contamination in the water supply should eat one to three cloves of garlic per day as a preventative.[46][47][48]

See also

References

  1. ^ Tseng CH, Chong CK, Tseng CP; et al. (2003). "Long-term arsenic exposure and ischemic heart disease in arseniasis-hyperendemic villages in Taiwan". Toxicol. Lett. 137 (1–2): 15–21. doi:10.1016/S0378-4274(02)00377-6. PMID 12505429. {{cite journal}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |author= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Smith AH, Hopenhayn-Rich C, Bates MN; et al. (1992). "Cancer risks from arsenic in drinking water". Environ. Health Perspect. 97: 259–67. doi:10.2307/3431362. PMC 1519547. PMID 1396465. {{cite journal}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |author= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Chiou HY, Huang WI, Su CL, Chang SF, Hsu YH, Chen CJ (1997). "Dose-response relationship between prevalence of cerebrovascular disease and ingested inorganic arsenic". Stroke. 28 (9): 1717–23. doi:10.1161/01.STR.28.9.1717. PMID 9303014. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ Hendryx M (2009). "Mortality from heart, respiratory, and kidney disease in coal mining areas of Appalachia". Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 82 (2): 243–9. doi:10.1007/s00420-008-0328-y. PMID 18461350. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  5. ^ Navas-Acien A, Silbergeld EK, Pastor-Barriuso R, Guallar E (2008). "Arsenic exposure and prevalence of type 2 diabetes in US adults". JAMA. 300 (7): 814–22. doi:10.1001/jama.300.7.814. PMID 18714061. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ Kile ML, Christiani DC (2008). "Environmental arsenic exposure and diabetes". JAMA. 300 (7): 845–6. doi:10.1001/jama.300.7.845. PMID 18714068. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  7. ^ Hsueh YM, Wu WL, Huang YL, Chiou HY, Tseng CH, Chen CJ (1998). "Low serum carotene level and increased risk of ischemic heart disease related to long-term arsenic exposure". Atherosclerosis. 141 (2): 249–57. doi:10.1016/S0021-9150(98)00178-6. PMID 9862173. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ Kingston RL, Hall S, Sioris L (1993). "Clinical observations and medical outcome in 149 cases of arsenate ant killer ingestion". J. Toxicol. Clin. Toxicol. 31 (4): 581–91. doi:10.3109/15563659309025763. PMID 8254700.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ Dart, RC (2004). Medical toxicology. Philadelphia: Williams & Wilkins. pp. 1393–1401. ISBN 0-7817-2845-2.
  10. ^ WHO Water-related diseases
  11. ^ "Towards an assessment of the socioeconomic impact of arsenic poisoning in Bangladesh: Health effects of arsenic in drinking water". Drinking Water Quality. WHO. Retrieved 2012-09-20.
  12. ^ "OSHA Arsenic". United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-08. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-rice-source-arsenic-exposure.html
  14. ^ http://www.speciation.net/News/China-Inorganic-Arsenic-in-Rice--An-Underestimated-Health-Threat--;~/2010/05/19/5027.html
  15. ^ Deborah Kotz (December 8, 2011). "Do you need to worry about arsenic in rice?". Boston Globe. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  16. ^ http://www.speciation.net/News/Surprisingly-high-concentrations-of-toxic-arsenic-species-found-in-US-rice-;~/2005/08/03/1561.html
  17. ^ http://www.ccmp.gov.tw/en/research/result_detail.asp?relno=51&selno=0&no=95&detailno=1020
  18. ^ "Poisons in The Well: Exposure, Health Effects and Remediation of Arsenic and Manganese in Bangladesh". Ebey Soman and HealthMad. Retrieved 2009-11-01.
  19. ^ Whorton (2011) p.63
  20. ^ Whorton (2011) p.21
  21. ^ 공포의 '비소' 목재
  22. ^ 구혜선, '왕과 나' 폐비윤씨 사약받는 장면 열연 화제
  23. ^ Dr. Mohammed Al Janabi, 78 years after the murder of King Faisal the first, Iraq Law Network. http://www.qanon302.net/news/news.php?action=view&id=7230
  24. ^ Mari F, Polettini A, Lippi D, Bertol E (2006). "The mysterious death of Francesco I de' Medici and Bianca Cappello: an arsenic murder?". BMJ. 333 (7582): 1299–301. doi:10.1136/bmj.38996.682234.AE. PMC 1761188. PMID 17185715. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  25. ^ "King George III: Mad or misunderstood?". BBC News. 2004-07-13. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
  26. ^ Madness of King George Linked to Arsenic - AOL News
  27. ^ Whorton (2011) pp.226-228
  28. ^ a b "Doctors Reconsider Health and Death of 'El Libertador,' General Who Freed South America". Science Daily. April 29, 2010. Archived from the original on 8 June 2010. Retrieved July 17, 2010. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  29. ^ Simon Bolivar died of arsenic poisoning 7 May 2010. Nick Allen, The Telegraph. Retrieved on 17 July 2010.
  30. ^ a b Mowat Farley. 'The Polar Passion: The Quest for the North Pole'. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart Limited, 1967, p. 124
  31. ^ Parry, Richard. 'Trial By Ice: The True Story of Murder and Survival on the 1871 Polaris Expedition'. New York: Ballantine Books, 2001, p. 293
  32. ^ Fleming, Fergus. 'Ninety Degrees North: The Quest for the North Pole'. New York: Grove Press, 2001, p. 142
  33. ^ Chauncey Loomis. "Charles Francis Hall 1821–1871" (PDF).
  34. ^ Whorton (2011) p.356
  35. ^ "Phar Lap 'died from arsenic poisoning'". The Age. 19 June 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
  36. ^ Zhou J, Wang W, Wei QF, Feng TM, Tan LJ, Yang BF (2007). "Effects of arsenic trioxide on voltage-dependent potassium channels and on cell proliferation of human multiple myeloma cells". Chin. Med. J. 120 (14): 1266–9. PMID 17697580. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  37. ^ Konduri GG, Bakhutashvili, I, Eis A, Gauthier KM (2009). "Impaired Voltage Gated Potassium Channel Responses in a Fetal Lamb Model of Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn". Pediatric Research. 66 (3): 289–294. doi:10.1203/PDR.0b013e3181b1bc89. PMID 19542906.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  38. ^ http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/trace/arsenic/
  39. ^ Balakumar, Pitchai; Kaur, Jagdeep (December 2009). "Arsenic Exposure and Cardiovascular Disorders: An Overview". Cardiovascular Toxicology. 9 (4): 169. doi:10.1007/s12012-009-9050-6. PMID 19787300. {{cite journal}}: More than one of |pages= and |page= specified (help)
  40. ^ Klaassen, Curtis (2003). Casarett and Doull's Essentials of Toxicology. McGraw-Hill. p. 512. ISBN 978-0-07-138914-3. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  41. ^ R. Baselt, Disposition of Toxic Drugs and Chemicals in Man, 8th edition, Biomedical Publications, Foster City, CA, 2008, pp. 106-110.
  42. ^ "ToxFAQs for Arsenic". Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Archived from the original on 15 January 2009. Retrieved 2009-01-06. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  43. ^ Nicolis I, Curis E, Deschamps P, Bénazeth S (2009). "Arsenite medicinal use, metabolism, pharmacokinetics and monitoring in human hair". Biochimie. 91 (10): 1260–7. doi:10.1016/j.biochi.2009.06.003. PMID 19527769. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  44. ^ Dimercaprol Drug Information, Professional
  45. ^ Arsenic Trioxide (Trisenox®)The Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania Last Modified: December 25, 2005
  46. ^ "Food and Chemical Toxicology - Elsevier". Archived from the original on 2 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-05. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  47. ^ "Garlic combats arsenic poisoning - health - 14 January 2008 - New Scientist". Retrieved 2009-03-05.
  48. ^ Chowdhury, R; Dutta, A; Chaudhuri, S; Sharma, N; Giri, A; Chaudhuri, K (2008). "In vitro and in vivo reduction of sodium arsenite induced toxicity by aqueous garlic extract". Food and Chemical Toxicology. 46 (2): 740–51. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2007.09.108. PMID 17983699.

Further reading