Arsenic poisoning is not common, but it should be remembered that this element is found, among others, in many products that end up on our plate. Do you often eat rice because you think it is he althier than potatoes? Or maybe you eat seafood? Be careful, an excess of arsenic in the diet can be dangerous to your he alth - its carcinogenic effects have already been well documented.

Arsen(As, Latinarsenicum ) has been known since ancient times. In the 17th and 19th centuries, it was the basic drug used to treat diseases such as:

  • rheumatism
  • asthma
  • malaria
  • tuberculosis
  • diabetes
  • hypertension
  • stomach ulcer
  • heartburn
  • psoriasis
  • leukemia

It was not until the 20th century that arsenic was considered harmful, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) included arsenic in the first group of agents with epidemiologically proven carcinogenicity.

Workers of smelters and mines as well as the local inhabitants of these enterprises are particularly exposed to the harmful effects of arsenic. Arsenic is also supplied to the body with food and polluted air inhaled. Most of us are slowly poisoning the body with arsenic.

After contact with the element, we do not feel the symptoms of poisoning, but remember that arsenic accumulates in our body and over time can cause serious diseases, including many cancers, such as:

  • breast cancer
  • ovarian cancer
  • skin cancer
  • lung cancer
  • bladder cancer
  • kidney cancer

Arsenic poisoning is especially dangerous for people genetically burdened with cancer.

Where's the arsenic?

A lot of arsenic is found in rice, cocoa, seafood and fish.

The most common sources of arsenic contamination in food are soils where vegetables are grown or cattle are grazed. Compared to other countries in Poland, there is no high arsenic contamination of soils.

But that can't be said for the air we breathe. In 2016, Głogów, free tests of arsenic levels in the body of the inhabitants were conducted. The research was financed by the city, and the reason for conducting it was that the permissible limits were significantly exceededarsenic norms in the air, up to 800%.

Meanwhile, the standard for arsenic concentration is 6 ng per cubic meter of air.

In 2016, the average for Głogów was 12.6 ng, while in 2022 it was already 30.23 ng. These are the data of the Provincial Inspectorate for Environmental Protection in Wrocław.

Foods contaminated with arsenic most often come from Asia.

Rice, popular on our tables, is not, as it turns out, a he althy product. Fortunately, there is a way to cleanse it of the toxic element. Grains of rice, especially brown rice, should be poured with plenty of water and left overnight. Then rinse thoroughly, pour plenty of fresh and cook it. Rinse the rice after cooking and then put it on the table.

Arsenic is also found in fish and seafood. Physiologically, arsenic is stored by sea plants that have a strong accumulation capacity for this element. This vegetation is eaten by other marine organisms, which we later eat.

All marine fish - from salmon to herring - are rich in arsenic. Fish oils can also be a source of arsenic. This does not mean that we should give up eating them, but it is worth paying attention to what fisheries they come from.

Arsenic products also contain fruit preservatives.

It is also found in cigarettes, which should be a warning to 9 million smokers in Poland.

Beer and white wine connoisseurs who regularly drink these liquors must know that they may have an increased concentration of arsenic in the blood, because arsenic compounds are added during production to obtain better clarity of the drink.

Interestingly, it is not about people who abuse alcohol. To exceed the acceptable limit of arsenic concentration in the blood by 20-30 times, it is enough to drink 2 glasses of wine and 1.5 liters of beer a day.

You also need to pay attention to vegetables, or actually where they come from. Those grown on the roads will contain arsenic. Most often it concerns cabbage, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower.

Besides, if there is no such need, do not take preparations with shark cartilage on your own, because they may also contain arsenic. This was confirmed by the research conducted by prof. Jan Lubiński from the International Hereditary Cancer Center, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin.

Natural sources of arsenic include volcanic eruptions and leaching of arsenic from sedimentary and igneous rocks. The supplier of this poison is also the metallurgical, chemical and pharmacological industries, but also agriculture, sewage, coal and fuel combustion.

Arsenic (containing arsenic) is also used to exterminate rats and mice. Until recentlyarsenic compounds were also used in agriculture and forestry as plant protection products. Luckily for all of us, they have been decommissioned.

Arsenic poisoning: symptoms

Arsenic poisoning is divided into acute, subacute and chronic.

Acute poisoning manifests itself after a few hours or after a day for the longest time. The injured person has:

  • vomiting
  • drooling
  • sharp colic abdominal pain
  • headaches
  • increased thirst
  • dehydration
  • low blood pressure
  • weakness
  • cyanosis
  • shortness of breath
  • motor incoherence
  • convulsions
  • reduced sensitivity to stimuli
  • paresis or paralysis

In case of subacute poisoning, it appears:

  • lack of appetite
  • polyuria that progresses to anuria
  • skin swelling
  • skin eruptions
  • secondary skin infections

Symptoms of chronic poisoning usually appear after several years of exposure to arsenic. The following may be evidence of poisoning:

  • alopecia
  • skin keratosis
  • mucopurulent discharge from the nose
  • cough
  • prolonged pharyngitis
  • gastrointestinal complaints
  • drooling
  • nausea
  • vomiting
  • watery diarrhea or constipation
  • joint inflammation and stiffness
  • softening bones
  • electrocution

Women who are expecting a child and poisoned with arsenic are at risk of miscarriages and premature births. All ladies with cancer of many organs.

Arsenic poisoning is very dangerous. The element easily combines with enzymes and proteins (up to 95-99%).

Quickly paralyzes individual systems of our body, especially the nervous system, circulatory system, immune system, reproductive system, respiratory system and endocrine system.

The harmfulness of arsenic largely depends on its chemical form.

Already half an hour after consuming arsenic, there are problems with swallowing and a metallic aftertaste in the mouth. Vomiting, abdominal pain, intense diarrhea and muscle pain appear soon. An intense red rash is visible on the skin.

Sometimes arsenic poisoning causes death due to cardiovascular, kidney and liver failure.

Arsen: how does it work?

After invading the body, no matter what route, arsenic enters the blood and is bound by proteins. But it also leaves our body quite quickly through the urinary system, either in its primary form or after biotransformation. Small amounts of arsenic canbe eliminated from the body with sweat.

It is believed that organic arsenic compounds are less harmful to he alth and do not undergo biological changes, while its inorganic compounds undergo changes in enzymatic processes.

Compounds containing arsenic accumulate in tissues and are toxic to the liver and kidneys.

In addition, arsenic shows a high affinity for the sulfhydrol groups (-SH) of proteins, which inhibits the action of over 200 enzymes.

These compounds disrupt life processes, e.g. intracellular respiration, carbohydrate and lipid transformations, resulting in degenerative changes in internal organs.

Trivalent arsenic compounds by binding to hemoglobin cause hemolysis of erythrocytes, which leads to anemia similar to plastic anemia.

Pentavalent compounds induce disturbances in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, which leads to inhibition of tissue oxidation processes.

Arsen and cancer

Research into the carcinogenic potential of arsenic is ongoing worldwide. Scholars from the Pomeranian Medical University under the supervision of prof. Jan Lubiński, they made a very important contribution to world achievements.

Research conducted by the team of prof. Lubiński showed that the incidence of breast and ovarian cancer is associated with high levels of arsenic in the body.

2 thousand tested women, including about 600 carriers of the BRCA1 mutation. The women were he althy at the start of the study. After five years of observation, it turned out that when the arsenic concentration in the blood exceeded 1.1 µg / l of blood, the risk of cancer increased several dozen times. In total, 150 women who were he althy developed cancer within five years.

All collected data were analyzed in international standardizing research centers, where they were considered to be carried out very carefully.

From the research conducted so far, prof. Lubiński, it appears that 25% of women have a safe level of arsenic. Half of those tested at an intermediate level. The results of another 25% of Polish women show a high level of arsenic poisoning.

Discovery of prof. Lubiński, should not only encourage us to examine the level of arsenic in the blood, but also to take appropriate prophylaxis, including the analysis of the diet, to consume as little arsenic-rich foods as possible.

Arsenic blood test

Arsenic blood test is not available in the regular offer of clinics and laboratories. The cost of the research is several dozen zlotys depending on the city.

It is best to ask your family doctor or find out about the examinationhospital collection points.

A urine test for arsenic costs around PLN 180, and a hair test for arsenic (and for other heavy metals) ranges from PLN 170 to PLN 370. Hair examination can be performed, for example, by a trichologist.

Can arsenic be eliminated?

First of all, you should take care of a proper diet. White rice is less contaminated than brown rice, but it is best eaten interchangeably with groats, quinoa or noodles.

On average, an adult consumes 53 to 330 μg of arsenic with food, 50% of which is accumulated in the body.

The content of arsenic in the tissues of the human body ranges from 0.1 to 0.5 ppm. Its larger amounts may accumulate in organs (e.g. liver and kidneys) and e.g. nails.

Scientists from the University of Leicester and Nottingham Trent University in Great Britain have developed a method to determine the arsenic concentration in the human body through the analysis of nail fragments.

The only way to limit contact with arsenic is to check which country or region the products you want to buy come from. The second way is to wisely include these items in your daily menu.

About the authorAnna Jarosz A journalist who has been involved in popularizing he alth education for over 40 years. Winner of many competitions for journalists dealing with medicine and he alth. She received, among others The "Golden OTIS" Trust Award in the "Media and He alth" category, St. Kamil awarded on the occasion of the World Day of the Sick, twice the "Crystal Pen" in the national competition for journalists promoting he alth, and many awards and distinctions in competitions for the "Medical Journalist of the Year" organized by the Polish Association of Journalists for He alth.

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