Arsenic
What is Arsenic?
Arsenic is a natural element found in the earth’s crust and can be found in air, soil, and water. There are two types of Arsenic, organic (containing an element called carbon) and inorganic (not containing carbon).
How can I be exposed?
Organic Arsenic is commonly found in food and is considered less harmful while inorganic arsenic is commonly found in groundwater and can be very harmful. Since inorganic arsenic is a common groundwater contaminant, people are usually exposed to it via their drinking water. You can also be exposed to it in the air from industrial processes (mining, fossil fuel burning), and tobacco smoke.
How can exposure to Arsenic affect my health?
Exposure to low levels of inorganic arsenic can cause gastrointestinal issues (vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea). Long term and high levels of exposure can cause vision problems, skin changes, heart, liver, and kidney problems, pregnancy complications, infant developmental issues, and infant mortality. Inorganic arsenic is known to be a human carcinogen meaning it can cause cancer.
**ADHS will test all participant samples for total arsenic. Participant samples with total arsenic at or above 50μg/L (micrograms per liter) will be tested further to see what types of arsenic are present (organic vs. inorganic) and at what amounts.
Barium
What is Barium?
Barium is a natural element that can be found in the environment in different forms called compounds. There are also man made barium compounds made for different purposes such as drilling muds, textiles, oil/fuel additives, and pesticides.
How can I be exposed?
Natural barium compounds can be found in underground rock and mineral deposits and in small amounts in water, air, and food. Contamination from waste sites could cause high levels of man made barium compounds to be found in drinking water. Exposure to high levels of barium is not likely via the environment and typical daily activities. People with the highest risk are those with jobs that require them to be near or to handle large amounts of barium, like mine or factory workers.
How can exposure to Barium affect my health?
Harmful health effects of barium depend on the type of barium it is and how easily it dissolves in water. Natural barium does not dissolve easily in water which means unless there is contamination from waste sites only small amounts are found in water and food. Underground wells may have higher levels of barium but they are typically not high enough to be of concern. Low levels of natural barium are not considered harmful when entering the body. However, more research is being done to study the health effects of long term exposure to low levels of barium.
Man made barium compounds dissolve more easily in water and can therefore be dangerous if high levels enter the body. Exposure to high levels of easily dissolvable barium can cause diarrhea, vomiting, breathing problems, and low blood pressure. Exposure to very high levels can cause changes in heart rhythm (the pattern in which your heart pumps blood), paralysis, or even death if not treated.
Beryllium
What is Beryllium?
Beryllium is a natural element found in rock, soil, coal, and volcanic dust. It is used for many products and in many industries including medicine, aerospace, and defense.
How can I be exposed?
People are usually exposed to beryllium in the air caused by natural processes as well as coal-fired power plants, and cigarette smoke. People who work around beryllium have the highest risk of dangerous exposure, those who live near beryllium manufacturing and waste sites may also be exposed to higher levels.
How can exposure to Beryllium affect my health?
Inhaling a lot of beryllium can cause lung, nose, and throat irritation, trouble breathing, tiredness, and lung disease and cancer.
Cadmium
What is Cadmium?
Cadmium is a natural element found in the earth’s crust and can be found in all rocks and soils.
How can I be exposed?
Cadmium is within all rocks and soils and small amounts can be found in air, food, and water. Most Cadmium exposures happen to those who work in places that use cadmium but others can be exposed by eating contaminated food and/or inhaling cigarette smoke.
How can exposure to Cadmium affect my health?
Short periods of exposure to high levels of cadmium can cause chills, fever, muscle weakness, and lung damage. Long term exposure can cause kidney problems (changes in the way your body filters waste products from your bloodstream), lung cancer, and weakened bones. It is classified as a human carcinogen.
Lead
What is Lead?
Lead is a natural element found in small amounts in the earth’s crust. Lead can be found in the air, soil, and water. It is used in many industries and products and can be toxic to humans and animals.
How can I be exposed?
Most of the lead we’re exposed to in the environment is from burning fossil fuels, mining, and manufacturing. These activities can put lead into the air which can then land in soil contaminating food and drinking water. Lead can also be found in many products in and around your home such as ceramics, batteries, cosmetics, ammunition, paint, and plumbing materials. Homes built prior to 1978 likely have lead based paint and pipes.
How can exposure to Lead affect my health?
Children exposed to lead can experience brain damage, learning and behavioral problems, slowed growth, hearing problems, and headaches. Adults exposed to lead can experience reproductive problems, decreased kidney function, high blood pressure, nerve disorders, memory problems, and muscle/joint pain.
Mercury
What is Mercury?
Mercury is a natural element found in the earth’s crust. It is mainly put into the environment by human activities such as mining for metals, coal fired power stations, residential coal burning, and industrial processes.
How can I be exposed?
Mercury can be found in the air, soil, and water. People are mainly exposed by eating large amounts of certain types of fish, by breathing in fumes in the air from industrial processes, or from a damaged product that contains mercury.
How can exposure to Mercury affect my health?
Exposure to mercury for a long period of time can result in damage to the nervous system, including a “pins and needles” feeling, blurry vision, and general discomfort. Developmental delays (deafness, cerebral palsy, blindness, and others) have been observed in infants whose mothers were exposed to high amounts of organic mercury.
Thallium
What is Thallium?
Thallium is a natural element found in small amounts in the earth’s crust. Thallium is no longer produced in the United States but there are reserves and it is brought to the U.S. to make electronic devices, special glass, and for some medical procedures.
How can I be exposed?
Environmental exposures to Thallium are not common unless you work in an industry that uses Thallium. You can also be exposed through contaminated medications and supplements, contaminated foods, and hazardous waste sites.
How can exposure to Thallium affect my health?
Thallium can cause skin and eye irritation, blurred vision, tiredness, nausea, metallic taste, headache, and a “pins and needles” feeling in the arms and legs. Exposure over a long time can cause liver and kidney damage, seizures, and hallucinations.
Uranium
What is Uranium?
Uranium is a natural element that is found in certain types of rocks and is radioactive, which means it gives off energy in the form of tiny particles that can enter the body and damage cells, causing cancer and other illnesses.
How can I be exposed?
Most people are exposed to small amounts of uranium in food and water. When rocks that contain uranium wear down it can get into the soil and groundwater. Uranium is also released by mining processes and coal and fuel burning. People who live near uranium mining or uranium factories may be exposed to higher levels of uranium.
How can exposure to Uranium affect my health?
The health concerns from uranium are due to its chemistry, specifically how long it takes to decay. Exposure to uranium in drinking water can lead to decreased kidney function, which means your body won’t be able to filter waste as efficiently. Ingestion of large amounts of uranium can cause bone or liver cancer, and breathing in large amounts of uranium can cause lung cancer.