What arsenic does to the body is it messes with the ATP pathway which can disturb neurological and cardiovascular systems, and can make it difficult for muscles to fire.
If the dosage in the body is high enough, arsenic poisoning can eventually cause multi-system organ failure, most likely driven by cell death and hemorrhaging.
Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As and atomic number 33.
Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in combination with sulfur and metals, but also as a pure elemental crystal.
Arsenic is a metalloid.
Arsenic can cause lung and skin cancers and may cause other cancers.
The association between chronic arsenic exposure and cancer is strongest for skin, lung, and bladder cancer.
Liver (angiosarcoma), kidney, and other cancers have limited strength of association [IARC 2004; NRC 2000].
Arsenic is highly toxic in its inorganic form.
Contaminated water used for drinking, food preparation and irrigation of food crops poses the greatest threat to public health from arsenic.
Long-term exposure to arsenic from drinking-water and food can cause cancer and skin lesions.
Seafood: Fish, shrimp, shellfish and other seafood may contain significant amounts of organic arsenic, the less toxic form.
However, mussels and certain types of seaweed may contain inorganic arsenic as well.
Rice and rice-based foods: Rice accumulates more arsenic than other food crops.
Arsenic has no smell or taste, so you cannot tell if it is in your drinking water.
The only way to find out if your well water has high levels of arsenic is to have it tested.
You can't see, smell, or taste arsenic.
At very high levels, arsenic can cause death or harmful health effects.
In the U.S., levels of arsenic in food and water are usually too low to make you sick right away.