Therefore, TCE and other halogenated hydrocarbons will continue to be a focus of our biomedical and environmental studies in the renewal application. Historically, accidental exposure to arsenic has occurred from the consumption of artesian well water, where the inorganic form of arsenic was identified as arsenate. It is of major concern in the desert Southwest due to its ubiquitous presence. Digging the wells requires penetrating arsenic layers in the subsurface. Inorganic arsenic in the drinking water of millions of people has become a problem of global proportions.
Symptoms consist of fever, anorexia, hepatomegaly, melanosis, and cardiac arrhythmias.
Other features include respiratory tract symptoms, peripheral neuropathy, and hematopoetic effects. Arsenic is a carcinogen for humans. Chronic exposure to arsenic frequently results in skin cancer. Skin tumors include squamous and basal cell carcinomas, as well as Bowen's disease, which is an intraepidermal squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder. In addition, arsenic exposure has been associated with lymphoma, nasopharyngeal, stomach, colon, esophageal, kidney, and prostate carcinomas, which underscores the carcinogenic potency of arsenic.