Arsenic is a naturally occurring chemical element found in the Earth’s crust. It has three allotropic forms, with yellow and black being the most common. Arsenic is widely distributed throughout nature, especially in soils and rocks. It can also be found in small amounts in water and air.
In its elemental form, arsenic is odorless, tasteless, and non-metallic; however it does have some metallic properties when combined with other elements such as sulfur or oxygen to form compounds known as arsenides or oxides respectively. These compounds are often used for various purposes including manufacturing fertilizers, pesticides, paints and dyes.
At low doses (below 10 mg/kg of body weight per day) arsenic intoxication symptoms may not be noticeable; at high doses significant health risks are associated with chronic exposure including skin lesions such as keratosis or hyperkeratosis of the palms or soles of the feet (also referred to as “arsenic warts”), neuropathy (painful tingling sensations), anemia caused by decreased red blood cell production due to impaired hemoglobin synthesis, paralysis due to peripheral nerve damage along with many other potential ailments depending on individual circumstances – hence why it is important that individuals limit their dietary intake where possible since ingestion of food containing higher levels of trace arsenic can lead to long-term adverse health effects over time if consumed regularly without proper treatment measures being taken beforehand .
Various methods exist today for removing toxic concentrations of arsenic from drinking water sources which include adsorption filtration systems using activated alumina media plus reverse osmosis membranes designed specifically for dealing with highly contaminated supplies – both these techniques should effectively remove any harmful levels present before consumption takes place ensuring people stay safe from harm despite potentially hazardous conditions existing around them . Ultimately understanding how best we can protect ourselves against this element will help us better manage our environment now but also into the future too making sure no one unnecessarily exposed themselves needlessly through inadequate precaution measures being taken preventatively prior .