Humans have had a long and tumultuous relationship with heavy metals. Their ubiquitous nature and our reliance on them for manufacturing have resulted at times in exposures sufficient to cause systemic toxicity. Their easy acquisition and potent toxicity have also made them popular choices for criminal poisonings. This article examines the clinical manifestation and pathophysiology of poisoning...

Chronic exposure to arsenic is occurring throughout South and East Asia due to groundwater contamination of well water. Variability in susceptibility to arsenic toxicity may be related to nutritional status. Arsenic is methylated to monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) via one-carbon metabolism, a biochemical pathway that is dependent on folate. The majority of one-carbon...

It is well known that microorganisms can dissolve different minerals and use them as sources of nutrients and energy. The majority of rock minerals are rich in vital elements (e.g., P, Fe, S, Mg and Mo), but some may also contain toxic metals or metalloids, like arsenic. The toxicity of arsenic is disclosed after the dissolution of the mineral, which raises two important questions: (1) why do m...

This study examined the roles of arsenic translocation and reduction, and P distribution in arsenic detoxification of Pteris vittata L. (Chinese Brake fern), an arsenic hyperaccumulator and Pteris ensiformis L. (Slender Brake fern), a non-arsenic hyperaccumulator. After growing in 20% Hoagland solution containing 0, 133 or 267 microM of sodium arsenate for 1, 5 or 10 d, the plants were separate...

(SORCan) Working Group " There are more things in heaven and earth, than are dreamt of in your philosophy. " —William Shakespeare, " Hamlet, " Act 1, Scene 5 English dramatist and poet (1564 to 1616) L ess than 1% of the fresh water (approximately 0.007% of all water on earth) is accessible for direct human use. We use this small amount of water for drinking, transportation, heating and cooling...

Exposure to inorganic arsenic increases the risk of basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Arsenic metabolism is a susceptibility factor for arsenic toxicity, and specific haplotypes in arsenic (+3 oxidation state) methyltransferase (AS3MT) have been associated with increased urinary fractions of the most toxic arsenic metabolite, methylarsonic acid (MMA). The aim of this study is to elucidate the associa...

background: arsenic toxicity is a major global health problem and exposure via contaminated drinking water has been associated with hematological and other systemic disorders. the present investigation has been conducted in adult male rats to evaluate the protective ability of α-lipoic acid (ala) against such hematological disorders. methods: twenty-four adult male wister rats (b.wt.130±10g) we...

The prophyalactic contributions of spirulina and thankuni on rats experimentally induced with arsenic toxicity were tested and the comparative efficacies of both spirulina and thankuni were determined. Sixty apparently healthy rats were received, divided into 5 groups (T0 for control, T1 for arsenic treated group, T2 for arsenic plus spirulina treated group, T3 for arsenic plus thankuni treated...

Arsenic, a naturally occurring element, is a known human carcinogen. It is a known cause of lung cancer via inhalation and skin cancer via ingestion. Recently IARC classified arsenic in drinking water as a human carcinogen including lung and bladder cancer as outcomes. To obtain mechanistic insight into arsenic toxicity and to identify novel biomarkers of exposure and early biologic effect, we ...

Organoarsenical drugs are widely used in the production of broiler chickens in the United States. Feathers from these chickens are processed into a meal product that is used as an animal feed additive and as an organic fertilizer. Research conducted to date suggests that arsenical drugs, specifically roxarsone, used in poultry production result in the accumulation of arsenic in the keratinous m...