Arsenic Exposed: February 2010

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Testing testing . . .

Arsenic is pervasive in our environment. One way to evaluate the levels of arsenic in your life is to test for it. Several companies make kits for at-home use, ranging from $15.00 to several hunderd dollars. Some of the lower priced kits test only for inorganic arsenic. But some, such as the kit below from Hatch, have the ability to test for both inorganic and organic arsenic. *Note* I have not evaluated any of these tests and make no comment regarding their results. Testing often requires use of reagents that may be toxic. Be sure to follow all instructions and dispose of as indicated.

From the Hatch web site:

Our Low Range Kit (Cat. # 2800000) has a range up to 500 ppb and is best for samples containing sulfide or arsenic-iron particles. It has excellent recovery of As+5 (100%) and can measure organic arsenic with optional steps. http://www.hach.com/hc/search.product.details.invoker/PackagingCode=2800000/NewLinkLabel=Arsenic+Test+Kit,+0-500+ppb,+100+tests.

From Filter Fast:
http://www.filtersfast.com/Quick-Arsenic-test-kit-filters-fast.asp

On Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/SenSafe-Arsenic-Mini-Test-Kit/dp/B00176BQ9K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1265571476&sr=8-1

You can also find kits for testing soil, wood and other areas where high arsenic levels may be found.

Arsenic Overview

Arsenic is an elemental metal found on the earth's crust, occuring naturally in soil and bedrock. It is rarely present in isolated form, more typically found compounded with other substances. It has a long and illustrious history of use: the ancient Chinese were the first recorded people to use arsenic as a poison - adding it to a concoction for a poisonous war gas.

Long-term exposure to low levels of arsenic in drinking water has been linked to bladder, lung, kidney, liver, prostate, and skin cancer. Arsenic can also harm the nervous system, heart and blood vessels. The EPA categorizes arsenic as a carcinogen.

Much of the focus in arsenic research has been on "inorganic arsenic." Inorganic arsenic can be loosly defined as an arsenic compound that does not contain carbon. Some inorganic arsenic compounds are more toxic than others. Much of the arsenic used in products today is organic arsenic, meaning that it is an arsenic compound containing carbon. Although many in the industry claim that these types of arsenic compounds are "non-toxic" a large body of research calls these claims into question.

First, organic arsenic can transform into more toxic inorganic arsenic compounds through the digestive process and in the environment. Further, organic arsenic compounds have known toxicities. Many organic arsenic compounds were used to treat a variety of human diseases before the invention of penicillin. Patients treated with these substances experienced disparate and wide ranging side effects, including epidermic, gastrointestinal, lymphic and neurological problems, including motor neurological problems, and death. Many of the organic arsenic compounds used today are either structurally identical or similar to the compounds that caused such side effects in the past.

It is well documented that humans can have wide ranging reactions to arsenic exposure. Some, including children, may be affected by a small amount while others may be able to withstand a large ingestion without any side effects. Animal species are poor models for predicting effects of arsenic on humans because human and animal species can have widely disparate reactions from arsenic.

Because of the variety of names these compounds have, including brand names, abbreviations, etc., it is not always apparent from the compound name that arsenic could be a component. Further, many producers and manufacturers are not required to disclose the presenence of arsenic in their products. This is disturbing for a variety of reasons. It also leaves consumers without the ability to make informed decisions about the products they purchase and the uses to which those products are put.

With this blog, I hope to make a small step to remedy this problem. To raise awarness and give everyone the option to make informed decisions about the arsenic exposure in their lives.

Arsenic Exposed

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Testing testing . . .

The Basics

Arsenic Overview

Blog Archive

Search This Blog

About Me

Followers