Arsenic Toxicity
What Are the Standards and Regulation for Arsenic Exposure?
Course: WB 1576
CE Original Date: October 1, 2009
CE Renewal Date: October 1, 2011
CE Expiration Date: October 1, 2013
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Learning Objective |
Upon completion of this section, you will be able to
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Introduction |
We know that the toxic effects of arsenic depend on the nature and extent of exposure (dose), particularly the
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Workplace Standards |
The U.S Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) mandates permissible limits for arsenic occupational exposure.
The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists has set a threshold limit value of 10 micrograms per cubic meter/ Arsenic and inorganic compounds as Arsenic [ACGIH 2005] (See Table 4). The recommended exposure limit set by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is 2 microgram per cubic meter of air for no more than a 15 minute period, based on classification of arsenic as a potential human carcinogen. For further information about OSHA standards, see http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/arsenic/index.html For further information about protection guidelines, contact NIOSH at 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) or visit the Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgsyn-a.html |
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Environmental Standards |
Air
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists arsenic under authorization of the Clean Air Act as a hazardous air pollutant, defined as a substance that may cause an increased mortality or serious illness in humans after significant exposure [EPA 2007].
EPA has set 10 ppb as the allowable level for arsenic in drinking water (maximum contaminant level). (EPA 2006) The World Health Organization recommends a provisional drinking water guideline of 10 ppb. FoodArsenic is used in some veterinary drugs, including those used to treat animals used for commercial food products. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has established tolerance levels for arsenic in byproducts of animals treated with veterinary drugs. These permissible levels range from 0.5 ppm in eggs and uncooked edible tissues of chickens and turkeys to 2 ppm in certain uncooked edible byproducts of swine. Shellfish (especially bivalve mollusks and crustaceans) concentrate arsenic in seawater, but it exists in the organic forms, which have not been shown to produce adverse effects in humans consuming these seafoods. This type of organic arsenic is also rapidly excreted. PesticidesThe EPA Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) has restricted the use of inorganic arsenic in pressure treated wood. It has also cancelled all registered uses of inorganic arsenic for non-wood preservative purposes. For more information on EPA rules and regulations regarding arsenic, see http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/arsenic.html. |
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Standards and Regulations for Inorganic Arsenic |
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Key Points |
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Progress Check |
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