Research Article Open Access Volume 5 • Issue 6 • 1000327 J Environ Anal Toxicol ISSN: 2161-0525 JEAT, an open access journal Open Access Review Article Tantry et al., J Environ Anal Toxicol 2015, 5:6 DOI: 10.4172/2161-0525.1000327 *Corresponding author: Bilal Ahmad Tantry, Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Aljouf University, Saudi Arabia, Tel: 966506281724; E-mail: batantry@ju.edu.sa Received August 17, 2015; Accepted October 25, 2015; Published October 28, 2015 Citation: Tantry BA, Shrivastava D, Taher I, Tantry MN (2015) Arsenic Exposure: Mechanisms of Action and Related Health Effects. J Environ Anal Toxicol 5: 327. doi:10.4172/2161-0525.1000327 Copyright: © 2015 Tantry BA, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Arsenic Exposure: Mechanisms of Action and Related Health Effects Bilal Ahmad Tantry 1,2* , Divya Shrivastava 2 , Ibrahim Taher 1 and Mudasar Nabi Tantry 3 1 Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Aljouf University, Saudi Arabia 2 School of Life Sciences, Jaipur National University, Jaipur, India 3 Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Kashmir University, India Keywords: Arsenic health efects; Arsenic; Cancer; Arsenic metabolism; Chronic arsenic exposure; Drinking water Introduction For many centuries, Arsenic (As) has almost exclusively been connected with deliberate poisoning, but in the contemporary world, it has largely contributed to escalating environmental pollution. Te widespread anthropogenic use of pesticides containing arsenic can adversely afect human health. In addition, the activities that involves mining and burning of coal, thereby releasing it in the air has received pivotal attention [1]. Arsenic difers in its form when food and drinking water are concerned. In food, arsenic is found in both organic and inorganic form, depending on the kind of food, whereas, arsenic is present in inorganic form (either as As III  or As V ) in drinking water [2]. Groundwater usually contains arsenic as detected in 70 countries worldwide that has afected 140 million people. Most of the afected people live in Asia (such as Bangladesh, India) who have been afected with concentration levels higher than the WHO drinking water arsenic value of 10 μg/L as well as the national regulatory standards (e.g., 50 μg/L in India and Bangladesh) [3,4]. Arsenic contamination prevalent in groundwater ofen stems from geological sources and its consumption can cause chronic health disorders in numerous afected regions across the globe [5]. In Asia, arsenic found in groundwater is considered as the largest environmental health disaster that aims to threaten at least 100 million people in the Bengal Basin of Bangladesh and West Bengal. Arsenic exposure and consumption has been afecting India with cancer disease and other As- related ailments [6]. Arsenic is the 52nd out of 92 elements that is heavily found in earth’s crust and has a concentration of 1.8 parts per million. Tis poisonous element occurs naturally in numerous minerals such as arsenopyrite, tennantite (copper arsenic sulfde) and realgar (arsenic sulfde). In soils, mostly the inorganic forms of arsenic are found such as As III (arsenite) and AsV (arsenate) [7,8]. Monomethylarsonic acid (MMAA), Methylated species, trimethylarsine oxide (TMAO) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMAA) are vastly present in biomass, but soils also incorporate them [1]. In addition, As V and As III can be evaporated at regular temperature for transforming into arsine, MMAA changing to tomonomethylarsine [9], TMAO transforming to trimethylarsine (TMA) and DMAA taking shape of dimethylarsine (DMA) [10]. Diferent soil parameters are likely to afect the toxicity and bioavailability of arsenic prevalent in soil. Soil parameters such as redox potential, pH, soil and site hydrology can highly infuence the toxicity of arsenic. In addition, microbial and plant components can afect the arsenic absorption. Te above-mentioned parameters can afect the behavior of soil colloids and absorption capacity, thereby changing the bioavailability and solubility of arsenic [11-13]. In natural ecosystem settings, the chemical processes can play a pivotal role in controlling the arsenic exposure and mobility. However, there are increased chances that microbial metal reduction can also play an essential role in mobilizing toxic metals that can have disastrous efects on living beings’ health. Microbial reduction of As V and more poisonous and mobile As III species can take place through respiration processes [14,15]. Numerous bacteria contain the As V -reductase gene that is involved in As V reduction [16], only few microorganisms which have the capability to respire As V have been secluded [17]. Te AsV-respiring bacteria are likely to use various electron donors such as hydrogen and acetate; and can be of diferent types ranging from mesophiles to extremophiles [17]. Trough laboratory studies, it has been determined that microbial phenomena that plays an essential role in reducing and mobilizing As V are more rapid as compared to inorganic chemical changes [18]. Laboratory researches revealed that these microorganisms can signifcantly contribute in As cycling in the earth crust [14,18,19]. Arsenic Mechanism of Action and Related Health Efects Arsenic metabolism Arsenic can enter human body by drinking impure water and can act as deterrent to secure health. Hence, arsenic is vulnerable to human health and can cause cancer also. Tis issue is becoming a Abstract Arsenic represents a natural drinking water contaminant that can deteriorate health due to its extreme toxic nature. Infant mortality, neuropathies, liver disease, cancer, eye diseases, cardiovascular disease and different skin alterations can stem from chronic arsenic exposure. The predominant species of arsenic comprise of arsenite and arsenate. Arsenite is more toxic in nature as compared to arsenate. Arsenic pollution is mainly caused by natural process such as weathering of rocks and minerals followed by leaching and industrial activities that lead to contamination of soil and groundwater. The WHO guideline permits the maximum limit of arsenic as 10 μg/L in drinking water. This review provides a comprehensive overview on arsenic mode of action, its sources and health related effects. The effect of toxicity, biomarkers of arsenic toxicity and the mechanism of arsenic dangers on humans are also discussed. Journal of Environmental & Analytical Toxicology J o u r n a l o f E n v i r o n m e n t a l & A n a l y t i c a l T o x i c o l o g y ISSN: 2161-0525