what does arsenic do to the body

Arsenic severely damages multiple body systems, causing acute poisoning symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea, while chronic exposure leads to cancers, skin lesions, and organ failure.

Acute Effects

Arsenic poisoning strikes fast when someone ingests high doses, often from contaminated water or food. Initial symptoms hit the gastrointestinal tract hard—think severe vomiting, watery diarrhea (sometimes bloody), and intense abdominal pain—followed by numbness, tingling in extremities, muscle cramps, and potentially coma or death if untreated. The minimal lethal dose for adults is around 70-200 mg, or about 1 mg/kg body weight, disrupting cell energy production by mimicking phosphate and halting ATP formation.

Imagine a tragic case from history, like the 19th-century arsenic-laced medicines: patients dosed for ailments like asthma started with gut distress, then slid into multi-organ collapse as arsenic swelled cells and depleted liver glycogen.

Chronic Exposure Impacts

Long-term low-level intake builds silently over years, often via drinking water in arsenic-rich areas like parts of Bangladesh or U.S. groundwater. Skin changes appear first: darkened patches (hyperpigmentation), thickened palms/soles (hyperkeratosis), and lesions that can turn cancerous after 2-20 years.

• Cancer risks soar : Skin (squamous cell), lung, bladder, liver, prostate, kidney, and even blood vessel cancers.

• Nervous system : Peripheral neuropathy with numbness, tingling; cognitive deficits.

• Heart and vessels : Atherosclerosis from platelet clumping, arrhythmias via QT prolongation and calcium overload, plus heart disease.

• Liver/spleen : Enlargement, non-cirrhotic fibrosis, portal hypertension.

• Other organs : Diabetes, red/white blood cell shortages causing fatigue/infections, kidney damage, immunosupression.

From expert models, water and rice are top exposure routes, with food risks emerging lately—poor methylation or nutrition heightens vulnerability.

System Affected| Key Effects 15
---|---
Skin| Pigmentation changes, hyperkeratosis, squamous cell carcinoma
Cancer Sites| Skin, lung, bladder, liver, kidney, prostate
Cardiovascular| Atherosclerosis, arrhythmias, hypertension
Neurologic| Neuropathy, cognitive impairment
GI/Liver| Enlargement, fibrosis, diabetes
Blood| Anemia, infection risk

Mechanisms of Harm

Arsenic, a metalloid, binds sulfhydryl groups in enzymes, impairing respiration and causing mitochondrial swelling. Chronic buildup in unbound form hits DNA, sparking inflammation via TNF-α and VEGF, fueling cancers and vessel damage. Inhalation adds lung irritation; arsine gas uniquely triggers massive hemolysis.

Viewpoints differ: toxicologists stress dose/duration (e.g., WHO notes 5+ years for skin signs), while epidemiologists highlight regional variances like New England wells.

Trending Context

As of 2026, arsenic lingers in discussions around U.S. well water testing and rice safety—no major outbreaks, but forums buzz about home filters amid climate shifts mobilizing soil toxins. Historical toxicology reviews, like those on medicinal arsenic peaks in the 1800s, remind us exposure isn't new.

TL;DR: Arsenic poisons acutely via gut/nerve chaos and chronically via skin cancers/organs; avoid via tested water/food.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.