Copyright@ Lawal Bashir | Biomed J Sci & Tech Res | BJSTR. MS.ID.005042. 23884 Review Article ISSN: 2574 -1241 Arsenic Poisoning: The Risk, Clinical Features and Treatment Bala Alkali Mohammed 1 , David B Oshevire 2 , Mohammed A King 3 , Rhamatallah A Alawode 4,6 , Abdullateef Lawal 5 , Bisola S Babalola 6 and Bashir Lawal 1 * 1 Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Technology, Minna Nigeria 2 Senior Medical Officer, Hayok Medicare, Abuja 3 Department of Chemical Sciences, Biochemistry Unit Federal Polytechnic P.M.B. 55, Bida, Niger State, Nigeria 4 Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria -Southern Guinea Research Station Mokwa, Nigeria 5 Department of Chemistry, University of Ilorin, Nigeria 6 Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Technology, Minna Nigeria *Corresponding author: Lawal Bashir, Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Technology, Minna Nigeria DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2020.31.005042 ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Environmental exposure to arsenic, is a major concern in many industrialized countries. Although metals occur naturally in the environment but human activities cause more metals releases and have altered the natural cycling of the elements. These exposures occurs mostly from diet (water and food consumption), inhalation from air and metals related occupational exposure like leaded gasoline, industrial processes such as smelting of lead and its combustion, pottery, boat building, mining industry, exhaust fumes of vehicles, metal based painting, metal containing pipes, battery recycling, grids, arm industry, pigments, printing of books, etc Exposure to arsenic may affect nutrient metabolism and can cause a variety of health effects in human. Cancer, immunotoxicity, hepatotoxicicty, neurotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, brain damage, lungs damage, gastrointestinal distress and haematological alterations are the most frequently documented health implication associated with arsenic intoxication. Consequently, this this paper provide a deep understanding of arsenic, their sources, routes of exposure, the mechanisms of occasioning their toxicity, health implications in human and to identify substances that contribute to overcome their hazardous effects in human. Received: September 28, 2020 Published: October 08, 2020 Citation: Mohammed Alkali Bala, Oshevire B David, King A Mohammed, Alawode A Rhamatallah, Lawal Abdullateef, Babalola S Bisola, Lawal Bashir. Arsenic Poisoning: The Risk, Clinical Features and Treatment. Biomed J Sci & Tech Res 31(1)-2020. BJSTR. MS.ID.005042. Keywords: Arsenic; Toxicity; Health Effect; Diagnosis; Treatment Introduction Heavy metals are metallic element with specific density of > 5 g/cm 3 and are present in little quantity (ppb range to less than 10ppm) in various environmental matrices [1,2]. They include lead, mercury, aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, nickel etc. Their wide ranges of application in agriculture, medicine and industrial have led to their wide environmental distribution and have call for concern over their potential effects on human health and the environment [2]. They are present in our body at a low concentration but can adversely affect the environment and living organisms [3]. Their presence in soil, water, food, atmosphere even in traces, can cause serious problems to all organisms. These exposures occur mostly through environmental contamination, occupational exposure, and accumulation in water, and food such as fish and vegetables. It is suggested that exposure to one heavy metal is usually associated with exposure to the others, thus synergetic toxicity of these heavy metals is expected. The bioavailability of these heavy metals are influenced by physical factors (phase association, temperature, adsorption and sequestration), chemical factors (kinetics, thermodynamic equilibrium and lipid solubility) and biological factors (species difference, trophic interactions, and physiological/ biochemical adaptation) [2, 4,5]. They are ranked among the top 10 of hazardous substances on the basis of the toxicity and the potential for exposure from water, soil, and air contamination [6]. Cadmium, lead, arsenic