Arsenic is one of the most toxic and carcinogenic elements in the environment. This book brings together the current knowledge on arsenic contamination worldwide, reviewing the field, highlighting common themes and pointing to key areas needing future research. Contributions discuss methods for accurate identification and quantification of individual arsenic species in a range of environmental and biological matrices and give an overview of the environmental chemistry of arsenic. Next, chapters deal with the dynamics of arsenic in groundwater and aspects of arsenic in soils and plants, including plant uptake studies, effects on crop quality and yield, and the corresponding food chain and human health issues associated with these exposure pathways. These concerns are coupled with the challenge to develop efficient, cost effective risk management and remediation strategies: recent technological advances are described and assessed, including the use of adsorbants, photo-oxidation, bioremediation and electrokinetic remediation. The book concludes with eleven detailed regional perspectives of the extent and severity of arsenic contamination from around the world. It will be invaluable for arsenic researchers as well as environmental scientists and environmental chemists, toxicologists, medical scientists, and statutory authorities seeking an in-depth view of the issues surrounding this toxin.

Having safe drinking water is important to all Americans. The Environmental Protection Agency's decision in the summer of 2001 to delay implementing a new, more stringent standard for the maximum allowable level for arsenic in drinking water generated a great deal of criticism and controversy. Ultimately at issue were newer data on arsenic beyond those that had been examined in a 1999 National Research Council report. EPA asked the National Research Council for an evaluation of the new data available. The committee's analyses and conclusions are presented in Arsenic in Drinking Water: 2001 Update. New epidemiological studies are critically evaluated, as are new experimental data that provide information on how and at what level arsenic in drinking water can lead to cancer. The report's findings are consistent with those of the 1999 report that found high risks of cancer at the previous federal standard of 50 parts per billion. In fact, the new report concludes that men and women who consume water containing 3 parts per billion of arsenic daily have about a 1 in 1,000 increased risk of developing bladder or lung cancer during their lifetime.

Throughout history, arsenic has been used as an effective and lethal poison. Today, arsenic continues to present a real threat to human health all over the world, as it contaminates groundwater and food supplies. Handbook of Arsenic Toxicology presents the latest findings on arsenic, its chemistry, its sources and its acute and chronic effects on the environment and human health. The book takes readings systematically through the target organs, before detailing current preventative and counter measures. This reference enables readers to effectively assess the risks related to arsenic, and provide a comprehensive look at arsenic exposure, toxicity and toxicity prevention. - Brings together current findings on the effects of arsenic on the environment and human health - Includes state-of-the-art techniques in arsenic toxicokinetics, speciation and molecular mechanisms - Provides all the information needed for effective risk assessment, prevention and countermeasure

Arsenic Pollution summarizes the most current research on the distribution and causes of arsenic pollution, its impact on health and agriculture, and solutions by way of water supply, treatment, and water resource management. Provides the first global and interdisciplinary account of arsenic pollution occurrences Integrates geochemistry, hydrology, agriculture, and water supply and treatment for the first time Options are highlighted for developing alternative water sources and methods for arsenic testing and removal Appeals to specialists in one discipline seeking an overview of the work being done in other disciplines

Arsenic contamination poses a major environmental problem, especially in Southeast Asian countries like Bangladesh and India. Threatening the health of millions of people due to arsenic’s toxicity and carcinogenicity, the major routes of arsenic exposure for humans are either through drinking water or crops. Rice is the crop most affected by arsenic owing to its cultivation in major arsenic contaminated areas, biogeochemical factors in the soil during rice growth, and specific features of rice that enable it take up more arsenic than other crop plants. This book addresses the problem of arsenic by pursuing a holistic approach. It presents the status quo in different parts of the world (North and South America, Europe, Asia, etc.) and provides essential information on food-related arsenic exposure risks for humans, and possible preventive and curative measures for tackling arsenic poisoning. It covers the arsenic contamination status of rice, rice-based products, other vegetables, fishes, mushrooms, and other foods, with a special focus on rice-arsenic interactions. The mechanisms of arsenic uptake, translocation and distribution in plants and grains are also explained. In closing, the book reviews a variety of prospective agronomic and biotechnological solutions to the problem of arsenic accumulation in rice grains. The book is intended for a broad audience including researchers, scientists, and readers with diverse backgrounds including agriculture, environmental science, food science, environmental management, and human health. It can also be used as an important reference guide for undergraduate and graduate students, university faculties, and environmentalists.

DDT is a pesticide that was once widely used to control insects. Both DDD and DDE are breakdown products of DDT. This profile includes: (1) The examination, summary, and interpretation of available toxicologic info. and epidemiologic evaluations on DDT/DDD/DDE to ascertain the levels of significant human exposure for the substance and the associated chronic health effects; (2) A determination of whether adequate info. on the health effects of DDT/DDD/DDE is available to determine levels of exposure that present a significant risk to human health of chronic health effects; and (3) Identification of toxicologic testing needed to identify the types or levels of exposure that may present significant risk of adverse health effects in humans. Illus.

Arsenic in drinking water derived from groundwater is arguably the biggest environmental chemical human health risk known at the present time, with well over 100,000,000 people around the world being exposed. Monitoring the hazard, assessing exposure and health risks and implementing effective remediation are therefore key tasks for organisations and individuals with responsibilities related to the supply of safe, clean drinking water. Best Practice Guide on the Control of Arsenic in Drinking Water, covering aspects of hazard distribution, exposure, health impacts, biomonitoring and remediation, including social and economic issues, is therefore a very timely contribution to disseminating useful knowledge in this area. The volume contains 10 short reviews of key aspects of this issue, supplemented by a further 14 case studies, each of which focusses on a particular area or technological or other practice, and written by leading experts in the field. Detailed selective reference lists provide pointers to more detailed guidance on relevant practice. The volume includes coverage of (i) arsenic hazard in groundwater and exposure routes to humans, including case studies in USA, SE Asia and UK; (ii) health impacts arising from exposure to arsenic in drinking water and biomonitoring approaches; (iii) developments in the nature of regulation of arsenic in drinking water; (iv) sampling and monitoring of arsenic, including novel methodologies; (v) approaches to remediation, particularly in the context of water safety planning, and including case studies from the USA, Italy, Poland and Bangladesh; and (vi) socio-economic aspects of remediation, including non-market valuation methods and local community engagement.

Arsenic Contamination in the World: an International Sourcebook provides a global compendium of cited arsenic occurrences in the world as they affect public health. This book details arsenic contamination by source, region and arsenic-affected country. Arsenic is identified in 105 countries and territories, representing a larger database than any previous published work. Sources of arsenic contamination are categorized as Anthropogenic, Geogenic, Volcanogenic, Coal, Mining and Petroleum-related. National, regional and international maps locate the affected areas and populations. A synthesis of critical country information includes an estimate of the exposed population of 226 million people worldwide. This reference work is an indispensable tool for medical doctors, public health workers, scientists, water experts, governments, industries, non-profit organizations and communities in identifying site-specific arsenic contamination. An extensive bibliography of peer-reviewed literature gives the reader important arsenic contamination locations as the first step towards remediation. This Sourcebook is updatable via an on-line annex which provides up-to-date information on new arsenic occurrences and developments. We invite readers to participate in updating this database at: http://www.iwawaterwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Articles/ExecutiveSummaryofArsenicContaminationintheWorld By synthesizing the known occurrences of arsenic world-wide, this reference book offers an essential tool for understanding and addressing the global arsenic geological-public health interface. Discounted ebook price available for customers from Developing Countries. Please contact [email protected] if you wish to purchase an ebook from a developing country @ £50.00 (PDF format). Author: Susan Murcott, Senior Lecturer, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA Table of Contents: Executive Summary, African Region, Region of the Americas, Asia Region, European Region, Region of Australia and Oceania.

This document presents key messages and the state-of-the-art of soil pollution, its implications on food safety and human health. It aims to set the basis for further discussion during the forthcoming Global Symposium on Soil Pollution (GSOP18), to be held at FAO HQ from May 2nd to 4th 2018. The publication has been reviewed by the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soil (ITPS) and contributing authors. It addresses scientific evidences on soil pollution and highlights the need to assess the extent of soil pollution globally in order to achieve food safety and sustainable development. This is linked to FAO’s strategic objectives, especially SO1, SO2, SO4 and SO5 because of the crucial role of soils to ensure effective nutrient cycling to produce nutritious and safe food, reduce atmospheric CO2 and N2O concentrations and thus mitigate climate change, develop sustainable soil management practices that enhance agricultural resilience to extreme climate events by reducing soil degradation processes. This document will be a reference material for those interested in learning more about sources and effects of soil pollution.

This book consolidates much of what is known about the geochemistry of arsenic and provides new information on relationships between high concentrations of arsenic in ground water and geochemical environments. The subject matter of this book ranges in scope from molecular-scale geochemical processes that affect the mobility of arsenic in ground water, to arsenic contaminated ground water at the national scale. Chapters were contributed by an international group of research scientists from a broad range of backgrounds.