Arsenicosis is a chronic illness resulting from drinking water with high levels of arsenic over a long period of time. It is a type of arsenic poisoning. Effects include changes in skin color, formation of hard patches on the skin, skin cancer, lung cancer, cancer of the kidney and bladder, and can lead to gangrene. The World Health Organization recommends a limit of 0.01 mg/L of arsenic in drinking water; consumption of higher levels over long periods of time can lead to arsenicosis. General Name, Symbol, Number arsenic, As, 33 Chemical series metalloids Group, Period, Block 15, 4, p Appearance metallic gray Atomic mass 74. ... Arsenic poisoning kills by massively disrupting the digestive system, leading to death from shock. ... In medicine (dermatology), there are several different types of cancer referred to under the general label of skin cancer. ... The incidence of lung cancer is highly correlated with smoking. ... When normal cells are damaged beyond repair, they are eliminated by apoptosis. ... Human kidneys viewed from behind with spine removed The kidneys are bean-shaped excretory organs in vertebrates. ... A bladder is a pouch or other flexible enclosure with waterproof or gasproof walls. ... Gangrene is necrosis and subsequent decay of body tissues caused by infection or thrombosis or lack of blood flow. ... WHO emblem The World Health Organization (WHO) is an agency of the United Nations, acting as a coordinating authority on international public health, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. ...
References
WHO Water-related diseases
PubMed
Evaluation of the carcinogenicity of arsenic and arsenic compounds by the IARC.
IARC could mean: International Agency for Research on Cancer is part of the World Health Organization. ...
External Links
Case Studies in Environmental Medicine: Arsenic Toxicity
Arsenicosis is defined as the presence of characteristic arsenical skin lesions combined with a history of drinking arsenic-contaminated water for at least six months (Hasnat 2004).
Most were diagnosed with arsenicosis by examination of the visible signs and/or symptoms such as the appearance of fl spots (melanosis), thickening of the skin on the palm and sole (keratosis), the appearance of fl and white patches (leukomelanosis), pustules on the skin (hyperkeratosis), burning of eyes, headache, dizziness and poor vision.
Similarly, respondents who were in advanced stages of arsenicosis and who perceived it as a life threatening illness were more likely to seek treatment than those respondents who were in more initial stages and did not perceive their arsenicosis symptoms as life threatening.
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