Arsenic in Food

Arsenic is considered as dangerous chemical and major public health concern. According to WHO, (2012), the recommended limit intake for arsenic in drinking water is not more than 10μg per liter. There are two forms of arsenic; inorganic and organic. Inorganic can be found in water and it is highly toxic. While, organic is less harmful and can be found in seafood. 

High concentration of arsenic can be found in ground water which causes plants or crops to be contaminated with arsenic. This could be seen in India (few parts) where most of the crops such as vegetables and rice were contaminated with toxicity of arsenic. It becomes worst when contaminated water with arsenic is used to cook rice. In Malaysia, arsenic is not a big health problem and most Malaysians do not know the long bad-effect of arsenic.

The acute effects of arsenic can be seen through symptoms such as vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Arsenic is not only to cause cancers, it also can lead to other health problems such as respiratory disease, liver malfunction, gastrointestinal disorders, nervous system disorder and cardiovascular malfunction. Be careful if you are pregnant because arsenic can pass through placenta. If no prevention, it can cause spontaneous abortion, stillbirth and preterm birth. In addition, it can lead to the development of lung cancer and bronchiectasia later in life.

We had been asked to eat a lot of grains, fruits and vegetables. But, do you know that these kinds of foods contain arsenic? The plants absorbed water containing arsenic for growth. It confuses many people with no or less knowledge about arsenic. People might afraid to eat healthy food because of arsenic. The solution is, continue to eat more and variety of fruits and vegetables everyday. The concentration of arsenic in fruits and vegetables is not too high. Besides, the vitamins or antioxidants in fruits and vegetables against the action of arsenic and fight any arsenic free radicals as to prevent cancers and other health problems. 

Should you be concerned about arsenic in your food or drinks? Yes, if your country is having the problems with arsenic. However, most of the countries do not have much problem about this. Actually, arsenic is unavoidable due to its existence in air, soil and water. Most people are to be exposed to low level of arsenic and less study determine the long term effects of arsenic. 

Do not afraid to eat healthy food such as fruits, vegetables, grains, seafood, and drink water. The main point is, eat variety of food in order to gain variety of health benefits.

References:

WHO. (2012). Arsenic

Arsenic in foodchain and community health risk: a study in Gangetic West Bengal. (2013). Procedia Environmental Sciences 18 ( 2013 ) 2 – 13.