1media/Arsenic_Skin_Lesions.jpg2024-08-14T14:34:57+00:00Matthew Deacone6c0bc2c3a5afcc5fd084388cdb29f3a67cf218613811With tens of thousands of casualties in Bangladesh alone, arsenic poisoning should not be overlookedimage_header2024-08-16T15:10:46+00:00Matthew Deacone6c0bc2c3a5afcc5fd084388cdb29f3a67cf2186
Is Arsenic Poisoning Cancerous?
One of the most severe health consequences of arsenic ingestion is the increased risk of cancer. More specifically, long-term exposure to arsenic in drinking water is associated with skin, bladder, and lung cancer. Arsenic may affect DNA methylation and repair mechanisms, enhancing UV-induced skin cancers. Smokers exposed to arsenic in drinking water have elevated risk of bladder cancer, even though the latency period may exceed forty years. Similarly, arsenic works synergistically with cigarette smoke, greatly increasing the risk of lung cancer. One example of an arsenic cancer victim is Fazlur, shown in the 60 minutes documentary “The Best of Intentions (Bangladesh Water)”. Fazlur’s body is riddled with tumors and his foot has been amputated. He explains how the pain he experiences makes him not want to live anymore, but he goes on because of his two children.
Short and Long Term Side Effects of Arsenic Poisoning
Arsenic poisoning has a plethora of side effects in addition to an increased risk of cancer. Short term side effects of significant arsenic consumption include diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, as well as numbness and tingling of extremities and muscle cramping. During a BBC News interview, Minhaj Chowdhury discusses how he witnessed skin lesions, mottled teeth and gangrene all over people when he visited a village in Bangladesh. In the same documentary, Siaton Nessa Meherpur, an arsenic victim, explains how she has heart problems and joint pain because the arsenic has deteriorated her body. She is unable to do any work or cooking and must be taken care of by her family. Other long term side effects include diabetes, pulmonary and cardiovascular disease, and developmental effects. Most seen, however, are black marks found on palms, which can often lead to cancer.
Treatment Options for Arsenic Patients
Treatment for arsenic patients is relatively limited. The most basic treatment patients receive is cessation of arsenic contaminated water. There are no well-designed studies to show if cutting off exposure to arsenic heals skins lesions and decreases cancer likelihood, although it is certainly better than continuing to drink the contaminated water. Another form of treatment is chelation therapy, where chemicals that bind strongly with arsenic are provided to patients and are then excreted out in urine. This process can remove substantial groups of arsenic in hours. However, it is found that arsenic is already excreted out rapidly, so it is unclear if chelation therapy makes that much of a difference. Providing patients with vitamins can also be beneficial for the skin, so it is recommended that all patients with skin lesions are provided a multivitamin. Finally, moisturizing may be beneficial for patients in advanced cases and patients blood pressure should be monitored to prevent hypertension. While there are a variety of treatments, none are particularly effective in healing arsenic-stricken patients.
12024-08-16T00:45:42+00:00The Best Of Intentions (Bangladesh Water)1In order to solve their dirty water problem, the Bangladesh government and UNICEF dug pump wells to provide the population with clean water. It, however, just replaced one poison with another. Christiane Amanpour reports.plain2024-08-16T00:45:42+00:00June 6, 1999BangladeshAndrew Tkach, & Columbia Broadcasting System