Following the rapid economic growth after World War II, diseases associated with environmental pollution frequently occurred due to delayed implementation of countermeasures against environmental pollution. These diseases are exemplified by Minamata disease, Itai-itai disease, chronic arsenic poisoning, and Yokkaichi asthma. After multiple episodes of these pollution-related diseases were exper...

Background. Skin lightening is very popular among women and some men of the Caribbean, and its popularity appears to be growing. The lightening of skin colour is done to produce a lighter complexion which is believed to increase attractiveness, social standing and improves one's potential of being successful. Design and Methods. Fifteen (15) common skin lightening creams found in pharmacies and...

BACKGROUND Dietary exposure from food to toxic inorganic arsenic (iAs) in the general U.S. population has not been well studied. OBJECTIVES The goal of this research was to quantify dietary As exposure and analyze the major contributors to total As (tAs) and iAs. Another objective was to compare model predictions with observed data. METHODS Probabilistic exposure modeling for dietary As was...

Arsenic contamination of drinking water is a global problem that will likely become more apparent in future years as scientists and engineers measure the true extent of the problem. Arsenic poisoning is preventable though as there are several methods for easily removing even trace amounts of arsenic from drinking water. In the present study, electrocoagulation was evaluated as a treatment techn...

OBJECTIVES Arsine is an arsenic compound generated as a by-product in metal refineries. Accidental poisoning occurs sporadically; however, the administrative level for workers has not been established. Thus, it is essential to identify a highly specific biomarker for risk management in the workplace. The aim of this study was to identify an arsenic adduct, a potential biomarker, in the plasma. ...

In the 1970s and 1980s, the government of Bangladesh, with the support and financing of the United Nations Children’s Fund, promoted the digging of tube wells to provide clean drinking water and reduce the incidence of diarrheal disease. This shift in water sources has been attributed to having played a major role in the reductions in morbidity experienced in Bangladesh, particularly with respe...

We report the case of a 56-year-old white man who presented at the Emergency Department for evaluation of dark-red urine. Rapid development of acute renal failure and haemolytic anaemia initially elicited the hypothesis of a haemolytic-uremic syndrome. A previous exposure to a gas mixture containing arsenic and copper was later recognized as the probable aetiology while other differential diagn...

an occlusive, diffuse, generalized lesion in medium and small-sized arteries, with particular involvement of the heart, skin, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, pancreas, and liver. It showed a fibrous thickening of the intima; the internal lamina elastica, the media, and the adventitia remained unchanged. A pathogenic interpretation of the vascular lesions is attempted, and their asynchronism in...

BACKGROUND In 1955, an outbreak of arsenic poisoning caused by ingestion of arsenic-contaminated dry milk occurred in western Japan. We assessed the excess mortality among Japanese who were poisoned during this episode as infants. METHODS We identified and enrolled 6104 survivors (mean age at enrollment, 27.4 years) who had ingested contaminated milk when they were age 2 years or younger; the...

Arsenic poisoning is a major environmental event affecting millions worldwide and its treatment with chelating agents has met with limited success. While arsenic toxicity affects multiple systems in the human body, its mode of action has not been fully elucidated. The present study therefore, investigated the possible protective effects of catechin against hepatorenal damage and dyslipidemia in...