arsenic is a naturally occurring element in the crust of the earth and is extremely harmful to people in the Middle Ages and Renaissance arsenic matter became a popular technique arsenic poisoning frequently went unnoticed since the symptoms are similar to those of Cholera which was widespread at the time arsenic also was used as in cases of domestic abuse placing arsenic in his coffee was widespread method of killing or poisoning a person arsenic is a poisonous metalloid element with almost little taste or odor making it challenging to detect through taste dice is under 5 milligrams results in nausea vomiting diarrhea and abdominal pain symptoms start to appear minutes to hours after ingestion and usually go away within 12 hours but sometimes symptoms May persist for days after exposure diarrhea is typically described as rice water or cholera-like diarrhea which may be bloody hypertension which results from dehydration and volume loss is another defining feature of arsenic poisoning cough dyspnea chest pain may be seen more commonly with inhalation numbness and tingling of the extremities and muscle cramping can also develop the lethal dosage of inorganic arsenic are 0.6 milligrams per kilogram death occurs one to four days after ingestion the exact mechanism of arsenic in the body is not known but it inhibits the formation of acetyl COA also the enzyme succinic dehydrogenase arsenate can replace phosphate in many reactions it acts by changing the functioning of around 200 enzymes diagnosis is by testing the urine blood or hair the most common reason for long-term exposure is contaminated drinking water long-term health effects include the first symptoms skin color change skin lesions and hard patches on palms and souls feet hyperkeratosis arsenic is carcinogenic to humans which means it can cause cancers other long-term effects include diabetes pulmonary disease cardiovascular disease and myocardial infarction arsenic has a negative impact on a child's cognitive development source of arsenic nowadays groundwater is the main source of arsenic poisoning in many countries including Argentina Chile China India the United States and Vietnam the areas most affected are Bangladesh and West Bengal in Seafood arsenic can be presented in a less toxic form arsenic is a byproduct in smelting processes for many ores including gold lead Cobalt nickel and zinc the main prevention is to use clean water without being contaminated with arsenic do not use groundwater but use rain water instead install arsenic removal systems either centralized or domestic treatment dimecoprol and dimercapto succinic acid are chelating agents used for the treatment of arsenic poisoning the most important side effect of this medication is hypertension chelation therapy has been shown to improve outcomes if started in minutes to hours after arsenic exposure supplemental potassium decreases the risk of experiencing a life-threatening heart rhythm problem from arsenic trioxide the prognosis is highly dependent on ingested arsenic State amount and duration of exposure