The topic of arsenic in the United States has created significant interest and concerns as a result of recent results indicating the levels of arsenic in rice and apple juice. Arsenic occurs both as organic and inorganic trace element. From a toxicological point of view, inorganic arsenic is associated to skin cancer, bladder and lung cancers. Some researchers propose that majority of the arsenic levels established in foods combine both organic and inorganic arsenic and this may overestimate the levels of inorganic arsenic in foods.
A number of recent studies identified that the general U.S. population is exposed to arsenic levels of between 0.03 to 0.08ug/kg/day. Children are exposed to levels between 0.08 to 0.28ug/kg/day. It has been proposed that levels below 0.30ug/kg/day do not present health concerns. However, continued and increased exposure can lead to toxicity and cause health problems. Therefore, despite the fact that the exposure levels are below 0.30ug/kg/day, the current levels of exposure especially in infants and children are almost reaching the set limit and therefore, foods containing arsenic are a major concerns.
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Considering the effects of the effects of concentrated exposure to arsenic, I would be concerned about consuming foods that have been identified with arsenic and I would not feed them to a child. The carcinogenic properties of the trace element are an enough reason for me to avoid foods containing arsenic. The U.S government has made significant and considerable efforts to minimize exposure to arsenic.
In conclusion, arsenic is toxic and has the potential to adversely affect human health and cause conditions such as cancer. Through the FDA and USDA the government has established regulations and policies to control the levels of arsenic in fruit juices and foods especially in rice that contains the highest levels of arsenic. However, much is needed to be done to minimize the levels that human beings are exposed to.
