Hannah+Forshay+Arsenic



A German alchemist is believed to have first discovered arsenic in the mid-1200's, but even that, it was mined by ancient Chinese, Greek, and Egyptians. This element is the thirty-third on the periodic table and appears in three colors - yellow, black, and grey. The stable form, however, is a silver color. It is a solid at room temperature, but it can be melted into a liquid, or when boiled, it will oxidize. Arsenic may have a bad reputation, but there are many upsides. Arsenic can combine with other elements to form many of the products we use today, and it was once used as a medical treatment, but a major downside is the toxicity of the element.

Arsenic can combine with other elements to form compounds that are used in many of the products we use. One of the most common is Copper Chromated Arsenate which is used to treat lumber that we build with. Another use for arsenic is in pesticides. Combined with lead or calcium, arsenic is able to keep insects off of crops, but at what cost? In the early 1900’s, the FDA found that the extensive levels of arsenic of crops were leading to a great deal of sickness in the United States. After arsenic pesticides were banned, rat poisons using arsenic emerged. These rat poisons are still used today, although they are toxic to humans if ingested.

Believe it or not, arsenic was once used in an experimental medical treatment. Arsenic was once used in treatments for different types of cancer and chronic diseases. Arsenic would be used by doctors as remedial means. Even today, it is possibly still used in folk remedies. The FDA is also looking at a treatment for leukemia that includes using arsenic. It was more prevalent in the early 1900’s in the medical field, but it is still around today.

The obvious disadvantage of this element is that it is poisonous to humans. If large quantities of arsenic gets into the body, if by ingestion, inhalation, or by any other means, it would most likely lead to death. Many people even believe that Napoleon Bonaparte’s death could have been due to arsenic. Arsenic has been traced as early as the Renaissance period being used to purposely poison people. Many of these murders were due to politics in the Middle Ages. There was a group of Austrians in the 1800’s who were known to eat arsenic one to two times a week seeking to build up an immunity to being poisoned. This group of people got the nickname “Arsenic Eaters” for obvious reasons.

In conclusion, arsenic can be very profitable if used in the right way. Like many things, though, this element has been used irresponsibly in the past, so there are restrictions on its uses now. There are many compounds formed using arsenic and other elements that can be used in beneficial products. At one point, arsenic was even used as a risky medical treatment and it isbelieved to still be used today in folk remedies. Obviously, the major downfall is the poisonous nature of the element. If arsenic enters the body in any way in large quantities, it can be very detrimental.

A person's hands after being exposed to arsenic The solid form of the element, labeled with the name, symbol, atomic number, and mass of the element The yellow form of the element [|Arsenic Video]

[|Arsenic Glogster] [|Extra Credit]

__Citations__

"ToxFAQs™ for Arsenic." //Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry //. N.p., 26 Oct. 2011. Web. 19 Sept. 2013. .

"Arsenic: A Murderous History." //Dartmouth.edu //. N.p., 22 Oct. 2012. Web. 19 Sept. 2013. 

"The Element Arsenic." //It's Elemental //. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2013. .

"Arsenic Compounds." //EPA //. Environmental Protection Agency, 24 Jan. 2013. Web. 19 Sept. 2013. .

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">"Arsenic - As." //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">Arsenic (As) //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2013. <http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/as.htm>

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">"A Is for Arsenic (pesticides, If You Please)." //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">Wired.com //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">. Conde Nast Digital, 17 June 0012. Web. 19 Sept. 2013. <http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/06/arsenic-pesticides-in-our-food/>

"Arsenic in Guanacaste Water Supplies, Constitutional Court Puts Pressure on Chinchilla to Act." //Inside Costa Rica//. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2013. <http://insidecostarica.com/2013/04/19/arsenic-in-guanacaste-water-supplies-constitutional-court-puts-pressure-on-chinchilla-to-act/>.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">"Arsenic." //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">Pictures, Stories, and Facts about the Element in the Periodic Table //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2013. <http://www.periodictable.com/Elements/033/>.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">"What Is Arsenic?" //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">What Is Arsenic? //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;"> N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2013. <http://www.radata.com/whats-your-issue/what-is-arsenic>