In the course of my self-study, I've learned about so many fascinating and creative uses of arsenic. But to pay homage to the catalyst of my pursuit, I'll begin with the use of arsenic in a favorite barnyard animal - the chicken.
Arsenic is fed to chickens and turkeys mainly as a growth promoter. Sold under name-brands such as Roxarsone and Carbarsone, it is also known as 3 Nitro -4 Hydrophenylarsonic Acid. Although approved by the FDA in 1944, the use of Roxarsone increased dramatically as chicken consumption rose and the chicken industry consolidated in the 1970's and beyond. Roxarsone is such a wonderful product because, instead of waiting for the little creatures to grow up normally, chickens fed Roxarsone grow to "broiler" size in record time! And after all this time, scientists are still scratching their heads at the biological basis behind these magic properties. The industry touts this as "organic arsenic," which means only that it is a carbon-based compound. I'll save the history of organic arsenic, and the industry claims that this substance is "non-toxic" for a later post. Although much of the arsenic is excreted in the waste, some remains in the tissue, which of course becomes your chicken nugget. Mmmm. Arsenic, it's what's for dinner.
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