Arsenic Essay Research Paper Element 33 ArsenicAbstractArsenic — страница 3

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where the water is naturally contaminated with high levels of arsenic. The studies concluded that the tainted water could be linked with an acutely heightened chance for bladder cancer. Although this study has aroused concern in the United States, because bladder cancer is among the nine most prevailing cancers in America, some have pointed out that the risk may be overestimated. There is the possibility of other contributing factors to the cancer such as “an underlying genetic vulnerability to the cancer, the malnutrition endemic in arsenic-tainted Taiwan, and the presence of other water pollutants.” (Raloff 1966) A new study, however, seem to strengthen and prove the idea that arsenic is directly linked with bladder cancer. The study was conducted in C?rdoba, a province in

Argentina whose water is without the additional pollutants such as in the case of Taiwan. In addition, the inhabitants of the province have an ethnic background similar to the United States and a low occurrence of malnutrition. The study was led by Claudia Hopenhayn-Rich from the University of California, Berkeley. The water in C?rdoba has high levels of naturally occurring arsenic and the residents there have a bladder cancer rate about twice as high as Argentina’s average. (Raloff 1996) India is another area of major concern. Over a million Indians in West Bengal have been drinking water contaminated with high concentrations of arsenic. (see Figure 6-A) Around 200,000 people have been diagnosed with skin lesions due to arsenic. Many of them have hardened strips of epidermis

called hyperkeratoses that may potentially develop into cancers. (see Figure 7-A) It is very probable that tens of millions more can be in danger in areas that have not been tested for arsenic. Attention was first drawn to West Bengal in the 1980s when cases of poisonings were reported. The extent of the problem was far more widespread then was at first thought. (Bagla and Kaiser 1996) Dipankar Chakrabortik, a chemist from the School of Environmental Sciences at Jadavpur University, has been conducting studies on the problem for over ten years. His team have tested 20,000 tube wells and found that 62% of them contained levels of arsenic higher than is allowable by the World Health Organization (WHO). Samples from the inhabitants’ hair, urine, skin, and nails have shown that

they had ingested large amounts of arsenic over the years. Many experts of arsenic and toxicology are interested in the pending crisis in India because of the wealth of information to be gained. It would be possible to discover what diseases arsenic causes and the information learned could help countries such as Taiwan, Chile, and Mongolia, where there are large problems with arsenic contamination. (Bagla and Kaiser 1996) Response from the Indian government to the crisis is low. They had approved a project that costs $25 million in 1995 that would supply piped water to the Malda district, but there has been scant improvement. In fact, the problem has grown more widespread. Tube wells that were not previously contaminated are now tainted and the federal government still seems

oblivious to the gravity of the tragedy. However, experts from around the world are continuing their efforts to study the problem and are seeking help from WHO and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (Bagla and Kaiser 1996) The water is not the only place where arsenic can harm humans however. Arsenic can be found almost everywhere, including your next meal. Fish often contain traces of arsenic and other chemicals. Arsenic is also commonly added to chicken feed to accelerate growth and stimulate the production of eggs. Often traces of this element and other chemicals can be found in the carcasses of the chickens when they are killed for sale in the stores. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has little chance to test the meat before it is packed and sent into the

markets. Even if a sample was to be tested, by the time the results are returned the meat is already for sale at the supermarkets. (Dadd 1992) Another place where arsenic can be found is in the unborn children. In Bulgaria, the unborn children of the women living in vicinity of a copper-smelting plant have a high mortality rate. They are often born with fatal defects due to the fact that their mothers were exposed to high levels of arsenic. Certain defects occurred consistently in the studies done, such as small forebrains and ear pits that are underdeveloped. (Stone 1994) There are many stories about victims being intentionally poisoned with arsenic, but do any of these poisonings ever occur in real life? Well, some historians have held that Pope Alexander the VI was murdered