PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

 Arsenic CAS#: 7440-38-2 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine August 2007

__________________________________________________________________________________________

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 

This Public Health Statement is the summary 

chapter from the Toxicological Profile for Arsenic. 

It is one in a series of Public Health Statements 

about hazardous substances and their health effects. 

A shorter version, the ToxFAQsTM, is also 

available. This information is important because 

this substance may harm you. The effects of 

exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the 

dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal 

traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are 

present. For more information, call the ATSDR 

Information Center at 1-800-232-4636. 

__________________________________________ 

This public health statement tells you about arsenic 

and the effects of exposure to it. 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

identifies the most serious hazardous waste sites in 

the nation. These sites are then placed on the 

National Priorities List (NPL) and are targeted for 

long-term federal clean-up activities. Arsenic has 

been found in at least 1,149 of the 1,684 current or 

former NPL sites. Although the total number of 

NPL sites evaluated for this substance is not known, 

the possibility exists that the number of sites at 

which arsenic is found may increase in the future as 

more sites are evaluated. This information is 

important because these sites may be sources of 

exposure and exposure to this substance may harm 

you. 

When a substance is released either from a large 

area, such as an industrial plant, or from a container, 

such as a drum or bottle, it enters the environment. 

Such a release does not always lead to exposure. 

You can be exposed to a substance only when you 

come in contact with it. You may be exposed by 

breathing, eating, or drinking the substance, or by 

skin contact. 

If you are exposed to arsenic, many factors will 

determine whether you will be harmed. These 

factors include the dose (how much), the duration 

(how long), and how you come in contact with it. 

You must also consider any other chemicals you are 

exposed to and your age, sex, diet, family traits, 

lifestyle, and state of health. 

1.1 WHAT IS ARSENIC? 

Arsenic is a naturally occurring element that is 

widely distributed in the Earth’s crust. Arsenic is 

classified chemically as a metalloid, having both 

properties of a metal and a nonmetal; however, it is 

frequently referred to as a metal. Elemental arsenic 

(sometimes referred to as metallic arsenic) is a steel 

grey solid material. However, arsenic is usually 

found in the environment combined with other 

elements such as oxygen, chlorine, and sulfur. 

Arsenic combined with these elements is called 

inorganic arsenic. Arsenic combined with carbon 

and hydrogen is referred to as organic arsenic. 

Most inorganic and organic arsenic compounds are 

white or colorless powders that do not evaporate. 

They have no smell, and most have no special taste. 

Thus, you usually cannot tell if arsenic is present in 

your food, water, or air. 

Inorganic arsenic occurs naturally in soil and in 

many kinds of rock, especially in minerals and ores 

that contain copper or lead. When these ores are 

heated in smelters, most of the arsenic goes up the 

stack and enters the air as a fine dust. Smelters may 

collect this dust and take out the arsenic as a 

compound called arsenic trioxide (As2O3). 
 PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

 Arsenic CAS#: 7440-38-2 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine August 2007

__________________________________________________________________________________________

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 

However, arsenic is no longer produced in the 

United States; all of the arsenic used in the United 

States is imported. 

Presently, about 90% of all arsenic produced is used 

as a preservative for wood to make it resistant to 

rotting and decay. The preservative is copper 

chromated arsenate (CCA) and the treated wood is 

referred to as “pressure-treated.” In 2003, U.S. 

manufacturers of wood preservatives containing 

arsenic began a voluntary transition from CCA to 

other wood preservatives that do not contain arsenic 

in wood products for certain residential uses, such 

as play structures, picnic tables, decks, fencing, and 

boardwalks. This phase out was completed on 

December 31, 2003; however, wood treated prior to 

this date could still be used and existing structures 

made with CCA-treated wood would not be 

affected. CCA-treated wood products continue to 

be used in industrial applications. It is not known 

whether, or to what extent, CCA-treated wood 

products may contribute to exposure of people to 

arsenic. 

In the past, inorganic arsenic compounds were 

predominantly used as pesticides, primarily on 

cotton fields and in orchards. Inorganic arsenic 

compounds can no longer be used in agriculture. 

However, organic arsenic compounds, namely 

cacodylic acid, disodium methylarsenate (DSMA), 

and monosodium methylarsenate (MSMA), are still 

used as pesticides, principally on cotton. Some 

organic arsenic compounds are used as additives in 

animal feed. Small quantities of elemental arsenic 

are added to other metals to form metal mixtures or 

alloys with improved properties. The greatest use 

of arsenic in alloys is in lead-acid batteries for 

automobiles. Another important use of arsenic 

compounds is in semiconductors and light-emitting 

diodes. 

1.2 WHAT HAPPENS TO ARSENIC WHEN 

IT ENTERS THE ENVIRONMENT? 

Arsenic occurs naturally in soil and minerals and it 

therefore may enter the air, water, and land from 

wind-blown dust and may get into water from 

runoff and leaching. Volcanic eruptions are another 

source of arsenic. Arsenic is associated with ores 

containing metals, such as copper and lead. Arsenic 

may enter the environment during the mining and 

smelting of these ores. Small amounts of arsenic 

also may be released into the atmosphere from coalfired power plants and incinerators because coal and 

waste products often contain some arsenic. 

Arsenic cannot be destroyed in the environment. It 

can only change its form, or become attached to or 

separated from particles. It may change its form by 

reacting with oxygen or other molecules present in 

air, water, or soil, or by the action of bacteria that 

live in soil or sediment. Arsenic released from 

power plants and other combustion processes is 

usually attached to very small particles. Arsenic 

contained in wind-borne soil is generally found in 

larger particles. These particles settle to the ground 

or are washed out of the air by rain. Arsenic that is 

attached to very small particles may stay in the air 

for many days and travel long distances. Many 

common arsenic compounds can dissolve in water. 

Thus, arsenic can get into lakes, rivers, or 

underground water by dissolving in rain or snow or 

through the discharge of industrial wastes. Some of 

the arsenic will stick to particles in the water or 

sediment on the bottom of lakes or rivers, and some 
 PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

 Arsenic CAS#: 7440-38-2 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine August 2007

__________________________________________________________________________________________

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 

will be carried along by the water. Ultimately, most 

arsenic ends up in the soil or sediment. Although 

some fish and shellfish take in arsenic, which may 

build up in tissues, most of this arsenic is in an 

organic form called arsenobetaine (commonly 

called "fish arsenic") that is much less harmful. 

1.3 HOW MIGHT I BE EXPOSED TO 

ARSENIC? 

Since arsenic is found naturally in the environment, 

you will be exposed to some arsenic by eating food, 

drinking water, or breathing air. Children may also 

be exposed to arsenic by eating soil. Analytical 

methods used by scientists to determine the levels 

of arsenic in the environment generally do not 

determine the specific form of arsenic present. 

Therefore, we do not always know the form of 

arsenic a person may be exposed to. Similarly, we 

often do not know what forms of arsenic are present 

at hazardous waste sites. Some forms of arsenic 

may be so tightly attached to particles or embedded 

in minerals that they are not taken up by plants and 

animals. 

The concentration of arsenic in soil varies widely, 

generally ranging from about 1 to 40 parts of 

arsenic to a million parts of soil (ppm) with an 

average level of 3–4 ppm. However, soils in the 

vicinity of arsenic-rich geological deposits, some 

mining and smelting sites, or agricultural areas 

where arsenic pesticides had been applied in the 

past may contain much higher levels of arsenic. 

The concentration of arsenic in natural surface and 

groundwater is generally about 1 part in a billion 

parts of water (1 ppb), but may exceed 1,000 ppb in 

contaminated areas or where arsenic levels in soil 

are high. Groundwater is far more likely to contain 

high levels of arsenic than surface water. Surveys 

of U.S. drinking water indicate that about 80% of 

water supplies have less than 2 ppb of arsenic, but 

2% of supplies exceed 20 ppb of arsenic. Levels of 

arsenic in food range from about 20 to 140 ppb. 

However, levels of inorganic arsenic, the form of 

most concern, are far lower. Levels of arsenic in 

the air generally range from less than 1 to about 

2,000 nanograms (1 nanogram equals a billionth of 

a gram) of arsenic per cubic meter of air (less than 

1–2,000 ng/m3

), depending on location, weather 

conditions, and the level of industrial activity in the 

area. However, urban areas generally have mean 

arsenic levels in air ranging from 20 to 30 ng/m3. 

You normally take in small amounts of arsenic in 

the air you breathe, the water you drink, and the 

food you eat. Of these, food is usually the largest 

source of arsenic. The predominant dietary source 

of arsenic is seafood, followed by rice/rice cereal, 

mushrooms, and poultry. While seafood contains 

the greatest amounts of arsenic, for fish and 

shellfish, this is mostly in an organic form of 

arsenic called arsenobetaine that is much less 

harmful. Some seaweeds may contain arsenic in 

inorganic forms that may be more harmful. 

Children are likely to eat small amounts of dust or 

soil each day, so this is another way they may be 

exposed to arsenic. The total amount of arsenic you 

take in from these sources is generally about 

50 micrograms (1 microgram equals one-millionth 

of a gram) each day. The level of inorganic arsenic 

(the form of most concern) you take in from these 

sources is generally about 3.5 microgram/day. 

Children may be exposed to small amounts of 

arsenic from hand-to-mouth activities from playing 

on play structures or decks constructed out of CCAtreated wood. The potential exposure that children 
 PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

 Arsenic CAS#: 7440-38-2 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine August 2007

__________________________________________________________________________________________

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 

may receive from playing in play structures 

constructed from CCA-treated wood is generally 

smaller than that they would receive from food and 

water. 

In addition to the normal levels of arsenic in air, 

water, soil, and food, you could be exposed to 

higher levels in several ways, such as the following: 

• Some areas of the United States contain 

unusually high natural levels of arsenic in 

rock, and this can lead to unusually high 

levels of arsenic in soil or water. If you live 

in an area like this, you could take in 

elevated amounts of arsenic in drinking 

water. Children may be taking in higher 

amounts of arsenic because of hand-tomouth contact or eating soil in areas with 

higher than usual arsenic concentrations. 

• Some hazardous waste sites contain large 

quantities of arsenic. If the material is not 

properly disposed of, it can get into 

surrounding water, air, or soil. If you live 

near such a site, you could be exposed to 

elevated levels of arsenic from these media. 

• If you work in an occupation that involves 

arsenic production or use (for example, 

copper or lead smelting, wood treating, or 

pesticide application), you could be exposed 

to elevated levels of arsenic during your 

work. 

• If you saw or sand arsenic-treated wood, you 

could inhale some of the sawdust into your 

nose or throat. Similarly, if you burn 

arsenic-treated wood, you could inhale 

arsenic in the smoke. 

• If you live in a former agricultural area 

where arsenic was used on crops, the soil 

could contain high levels of arsenic. 

• In the past, several kinds of products used in 

the home (rat poison, ant poison, weed 

killer, some types of medicines) had arsenic 

in them. However, most of these uses of 

arsenic have ended, so you are not likely to 

be exposed from home products any longer. 

1.4 HOW CAN ARSENIC ENTER AND 

LEAVE MY BODY? 

If you swallow arsenic in water, soil, or food, most 

of the arsenic may quickly enter into your body. 

The amount that enters your body will depend on 

how much you swallow and the kind of arsenic that 

you swallow. This is the most likely way for you to 

be exposed near a waste site. If you breathe air that 

contains arsenic dusts, many of the dust particles 

settle onto the lining of the lungs. Most of the 

arsenic in these particles is then taken up from the 

lungs into the body. You might be exposed in this 

way near waste sites where arsenic-contaminated 

soils are allowed to blow into the air, or if you work 

with arsenic-containing soil or products. If you get 

arsenic-contaminated soil or water on your skin, 

only a small amount will go through your skin into 

your body, so this is usually not of concern. 
 PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

 Arsenic CAS#: 7440-38-2 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine August 2007

__________________________________________________________________________________________

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 

Both inorganic and organic forms leave your body 

in your urine. Most of the inorganic arsenic will be 

gone within several days, although some will 

remain in your body for several months or even 

longer. If you are exposed to organic arsenic, most 

of it will leave your body within several days. 

1.5 HOW CAN ARSENIC AFFECT MY 

HEALTH? 

Scientists use many tests to protect the public from 

harmful effects of toxic chemicals and to find ways 

for treating persons who have been harmed. 

One way to learn whether a chemical will harm 

people is to determine how the body absorbs, uses, 

and releases the chemical. For some chemicals, 

animal testing may be necessary. Animal testing 

may also help identify health effects such as cancer 

or birth defects. Without laboratory animals, 

scientists would lose a basic method for getting 

information needed to make wise decisions that 

protect public health. Scientists have the 

responsibility to treat research animals with care 

and compassion. Scientists must comply with strict 

animal care guidelines because laws today protect 

the welfare of research animals. 

Inorganic arsenic has been recognized as a human 

poison since ancient times, and large oral doses 

(above 60,000 ppb in water which is 10,000 times 

higher than 80% of U.S. drinking water arsenic 

levels) can result in death. If you swallow lower 

levels of inorganic arsenic (ranging from about 

300 to 30,000 ppb in water; 100–10,000 times 

higher than most U.S. drinking water levels), you 

may experience irritation of your stomach and 

intestines, with symptoms such as stomachache, 

nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Other effects you 

might experience from swallowing inorganic 

arsenic include decreased production of red and 

white blood cells, which may cause fatigue, 

abnormal heart rhythm, blood-vessel damage 

resulting in bruising, and impaired nerve function 

causing a "pins and needles" sensation in your 

hands and feet. 

Perhaps the single-most characteristic effect of 

long-term oral exposure to inorganic arsenic is a 

pattern of skin changes. These include patches of 

darkened skin and the appearance of small "corns" 

or "warts" on the palms, soles, and torso, and are 

often associated with changes in the blood vessels 

of the skin. Skin cancer may also develop. 

Swallowing arsenic has also been reported to 

increase the risk of cancer in the liver, bladder, and 

lungs. The Department of Health and Human 

Services (DHHS) has determined that inorganic 

arsenic is known to be a human carcinogen (a 

chemical that causes cancer). The International 

Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has 

determined that inorganic arsenic is carcinogenic to 

humans. EPA also has classified inorganic arsenic 

as a known human carcinogen. 

If you breathe high levels of inorganic arsenic, then 

you are likely to experience a sore throat and 

irritated lungs. You may also develop some of the 

skin effects mentioned above. The exposure level 

that produces these effects is uncertain, but it is 

probably above 100 micrograms of arsenic per 

cubic meter (μg/m3

) for a brief exposure. Longer 

exposure at lower concentrations can lead to skin 

effects, and also to circulatory and peripheral 

nervous disorders. There are some data suggesting 

that inhalation of inorganic arsenic may also 
 PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

 Arsenic CAS#: 7440-38-2 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine August 2007

__________________________________________________________________________________________

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 

interfere with normal fetal development, although 

this is not certain. An important concern is the 

ability of inhaled inorganic arsenic to increase the 

risk of lung cancer. This has been seen mostly in 

workers exposed to arsenic at smelters, mines, and 

chemical factories, but also in residents living near 

smelters and arsenical chemical factories. People 

who live near waste sites with arsenic may have an 

increased risk of lung cancer as well. 

If you have direct skin contact with high 

concentrations of inorganic arsenic compounds, 

your skin may become irritated, with some redness 

and swelling. However, it does not appear that skin 

contact is likely to lead to any serious internal 

effects. 

Almost no information is available on the effects of 

organic arsenic compounds in humans. Studies in 

animals show that most simple organic arsenic 

compounds (such as methyl and dimethyl 

compounds) are less toxic than the inorganic forms. 

In animals, ingestion of methyl compounds can 

result in diarrhea, and lifetime exposure can damage 

the kidneys. Lifetime exposure to dimethyl 

compounds can damage the urinary bladder and the 

kidneys. 

1.6 HOW CAN ARSENIC AFFECT 

CHILDREN? 

This section discusses potential health effects in 

humans from exposures during the period from 

conception to maturity at 18 years of age. 

Children are exposed to arsenic in many of the same 

ways that adults are. Since arsenic is found in the 

soil, water, food, and air, children may take in 

arsenic in the air they breathe, the water they drink, 

and the food they eat. Since children tend to eat or 

drink less of a variety of foods and beverages than 

do adults, ingestion of contaminated food or juice or 

infant formula made with arsenic-contaminated 

water may represent a significant source of 

exposure. In addition, since children often play in 

the soil and put their hands in their mouths and 

sometimes intentionally eat soil, ingestion of 

contaminated soil may be a more important source 

of arsenic exposure for children than for adults. In 

areas of the United States where natural levels of 

arsenic in the soil and water are high, or in areas in 

and around contaminated waste sites, exposure of 

children to arsenic through ingestion of soil and 

water may be significant. In addition, contact with 

adults who are wearing clothes contaminated with 

arsenic (e.g., with dust from copper- or leadsmelting factories, from wood-treating or pesticide 

application, or from arsenic-treated wood) could be 

a source of exposure. Because of the tendency of 

children to taste things that they find, accidental 

poisoning from ingestion of pesticides is also a 

possibility. Thus, although most of the exposure 

pathways for children are the same as those for 

adults, children may be at a higher risk of exposure 

because of normal hand-to-mouth activity. 

Children who are exposed to inorganic arsenic may 

have many of the same effects as adults, including 

irritation of the stomach and intestines, blood vessel 

damage, skin changes, and reduced nerve function. 

Thus, all health effects observed in adults are of 

potential concern in children. There is also some 

evidence that suggests that long-term exposure to 

inorganic arsenic in children may result in lower IQ 

scores. We do not know if absorption of inorganic 

arsenic from the gut in children differs from adults. 
 PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

 Arsenic CAS#: 7440-38-2 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine August 2007

__________________________________________________________________________________________

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 

There is some evidence that exposure to arsenic in 

early life (including gestation and early childhood) 

may increase mortality in young adults. 

There is some evidence that inhaled or ingested 

inorganic arsenic can injure pregnant women or 

their unborn babies, although the studies are not 

definitive. Studies in animals show that large doses 

of inorganic arsenic that cause illness in pregnant 

females can also cause low birth weight, fetal 

malformations, and even fetal death. Arsenic can 

cross the placenta and has been found in fetal 

tissues. Arsenic is found at low levels in breast 

milk. 

In animals, exposure to organic arsenic compounds 

can cause low birth weight, fetal malformations, 

and fetal deaths. The dose levels that cause these 

effects also result in effects in the mothers. 

1.7 HOW CAN FAMILIES REDUCE THE 

RISK OF EXPOSURE TO ARSENIC? 

If your doctor finds that you have been exposed to 

substantial amounts of arsenic, ask whether your 

children might also have been exposed. Your 

doctor might need to ask your state health 

department to investigate. 

Many communities may have high levels of arsenic 

in their drinking water, particularly from private 

wells, because of contamination or as a result of the 

geology of the area. The north central region and 

the western region of the United States have the 

highest arsenic levels in surface water and 

groundwater sources, respectively. Wells used to 

provide water for drinking and cooking should be 

tested for arsenic. As of January 2006, EPA’s 

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for arsenic in 

drinking water is 10 ppb. If you have arsenic in 

your drinking water at levels higher that the EPA’s 

MCL, an alternative source of water should be used 

for drinking and cooking should be considered. 

If you use arsenic-treated wood in home projects, 

personal protection from exposure to arseniccontaining sawdust may be helpful in limiting 

exposure of family members. These measures may 

include dust masks, gloves, and protective clothing. 

Arsenic-treated wood should never be burned in 

open fires, or in stoves, residential boilers, or fire 

places, and should not be composted or used as 

mulch. EPA’s Consumer Awareness Program 

(CAP) for CCA is a voluntary program established 

by the manufacturers of CCA products to inform 

consumers about the proper handling, use, and 

disposal of CCA-treated wood. You can find more 

information about this program in Section 6.5. 

Hand washing can reduce the potential exposure of 

children to arsenic after playing on play structures 

constructed with CCA-treated wood, since most of 

the arsenic on the children’s hands was removed 

with water. 

If you live in an area with a high level of arsenic in 

the water or soil, substituting cleaner sources of 

water and limiting contact with soil (for example, 

through use of a dense groundcover or thick lawn) 

would reduce family exposure to arsenic. By 

paying careful attention to dust and soil control in 

the home (air filters, frequent cleaning), you can 

reduce family exposure to contaminated soil. Some 

children eat a lot of soil. You should prevent your 

children from eating soil. You should discourage 

your children from putting objects in their mouths. 

Make sure they wash their hands frequently and 
 PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

 Arsenic CAS#: 7440-38-2 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine August 2007

__________________________________________________________________________________________

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 

before eating. Discourage your children from 

putting their hands in their mouths or engaging in 

other hand-to-mouth activities. Since arsenic may 

be found in the home as a pesticide, household 

chemicals containing arsenic should be stored out of 

reach of young children to prevent accidental 

poisonings. Always store household chemicals in 

their original labeled containers; never store 

household chemicals in containers that children 

would find attractive to eat or drink from, such as 

old soda bottles. Keep your Poison Control 

Center’s number by the phone. 

It is sometimes possible to carry arsenic from work 

on your clothing, skin, hair, tools, or other objects 

removed from the workplace. This is particularly 

likely if you work in the fertilizer, pesticide, glass, 

or copper/lead smelting industries. You may 

contaminate your car, home, or other locations 

outside work where children might be exposed to 

arsenic. You should know about this possibility if 

you work with arsenic. 

Your occupational health and safety officer at work 

can and should tell you whether chemicals you 

work with are dangerous and likely to be carried 

home on your clothes, body, or tools and whether 

you should be showering and changing clothes 

before you leave work, storing your street clothes in 

a separate area of the workplace, or laundering your 

work clothes at home separately from other clothes. 

Material safety data sheets (MSDS) for many 

chemicals used should be found at your place of 

work, as required by the Occupational Safety and 

Health Administration (OSHA) in the U.S. 

Department of Labor. MSDS information should 

include chemical names and hazardous ingredients, 

and important properties, such as fire and explosion 

data, potential health effects, how you get the 

chemical(s) in your body, how to properly handle 

the materials, and what to do in the case of 

emergencies. Your employer is legally responsible 

for providing a safe workplace and should freely 

answer your questions about hazardous chemicals. 

Your state OSHA-approved occupational safety and 

health program or OSHA can answer any further 

questions and help your employer identify and 

correct problems with hazardous substances. Your 

state OSHA-approved occupational safety and 

health program or OSHA will listen to your formal 

complaints about workplace health hazards and 

inspect your workplace when necessary. 

Employees have a right to seek safety and health on 

the job without fear of punishment. 

1.8 IS THERE A MEDICAL TEST TO 

DETERMINE WHETHER I HAVE BEEN 

EXPOSED TO ARSENIC? 

Several sensitive and specific tests can measure 

arsenic in your blood, urine, hair, or fingernails, and 

these tests are often helpful in determining if you 

have been exposed to above-average levels of 

arsenic in the past. These tests are not usually 

performed in a doctor’s office. They require 

sending the sample to a testing laboratory. 

Measurement of arsenic in your urine is the most 

reliable means of detecting arsenic exposures that 

you experienced within the last several days. Most 

tests measure the total amount of arsenic present in 

your urine. This can sometimes be misleading, 

because the nonharmful forms of arsenic in fish and 

shellfish can give a high reading even if you have 

not been exposed to a toxic form of arsenic. For 

this reason, laboratories sometimes use a more 
 PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

 Arsenic CAS#: 7440-38-2 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine August 2007

__________________________________________________________________________________________

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 

complicated test to separate “fish arsenic” from 

other forms. Because most arsenic leaves your 

body within a few days, analysis of your urine 

cannot detect if you were exposed to arsenic in the 

past. Tests of your hair or fingernails can tell if you 

were exposed to high levels over the past 6–

12 months, but these tests are not very useful in 

detecting low-level exposures. If high levels of 

arsenic are detected, this shows that you have been 

exposed, but unless more is known about when you 

were exposed and for how long, it is usually not 

possible to predict whether you will have any 

harmful health effects. 

1.9 WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS HAS THE 

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MADE TO 

PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH? 

The federal government develops regulations and 

recommendations to protect public health. 

Regulations can be enforced by law. The EPA, the 

Occupational Safety and Health Administration 

(OSHA), and the Food and Drug Administration 

(FDA) are some federal agencies that develop 

regulations for toxic substances. Recommendations 

provide valuable guidelines to protect public health, 

but cannot be enforced by law. The Agency for 

Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) 

and the National Institute for Occupational Safety 

and Health (NIOSH) are two federal organizations 

that develop recommendations for toxic substances. 

Regulations and recommendations can be expressed 

as “not-to-exceed” levels, that is, levels of a toxic 

substance in air, water, soil, or food that do not 

exceed a critical value that is usually based on 

levels that affect animals; they are then adjusted to 

levels that will help protect humans. Sometimes 

these not-to-exceed levels differ among federal 

organizations because they used different exposure 

times (an 8-hour workday or a 24-hour day), 

different animal studies, or other factors. 

Recommendations and regulations are also updated 

periodically as more information becomes available. 

For the most current information, check with the 

federal agency or organization that provides it. 

Some regulations and recommendations for 

ARSENIC include the following: 

The federal government has taken several steps to 

protect humans from arsenic. First, EPA has set 

limits on the amount of arsenic that industrial 

sources can release into the environment. Second, 

EPA has restricted or canceled many of the uses of 

arsenic in pesticides and is considering further 

restrictions. Third, in January 2001, the EPA 

lowered the limit for arsenic in drinking water from 

50 to 10 ppb. Finally, OSHA has established a 

permissible exposure limit (PEL), 8-hour timeweighted average, of 10 μg/m3

 for airborne arsenic 

in various workplaces that use inorganic arsenic. 

1.10 WHERE CAN I GET MORE 

INFORMATION? 

If you have any more questions or concerns, please 

contact your community or state health or 

environmental quality department, or contact 

ATSDR at the address and phone number below. 

ATSDR can also tell you the location of 

occupational and environmental health clinics. 

These clinics specialize in recognizing, evaluating, 
 PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

 Arsenic CAS#: 7440-38-2 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine August 2007

__________________________________________________________________________________________

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 

and treating illnesses that result from exposure to 

hazardous substances. 

Toxicological profiles are also available on-line at 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov and on CD-ROM. You may 

request a copy of the ATSDR ToxProfilesTM

CD-ROM by calling the toll-free information and 

technical assistance number at 1-800-CDCINFO (1-

800-232-4636), by e-mail at cdcinfo@cdc.gov, or 

by writing to: 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental 

Medicine 

1600 Clifton Road NE 

Mailstop F-32 

Atlanta, GA 30333 

Fax: 1-770-488-4178 

Organizations for-profit may request copies of final 

Toxicological Profiles from the following: 

National Technical Information Service (NTIS) 

5285 Port Royal Road 

Springfield, VA 22161 

Phone: 1-800-553-6847 or 1-703-605-6000 

Web site: http://www.ntis.gov/