What is arsenic trioxide?
Arsenic is an element found naturally in the environment. There are many arsenic compounds of commercial importance. One of the most toxic of these is arsenic trioxide. Arsenic trioxide is a white or transparent solid that has no taste or odor and low flammability. Arsenic trioxide is used in the manufacture of wood preservatives, as an insecticide and herbicide, in metallurgy, and in glass and ceramic manufacturing. What immediate health effects can be caused by exposure to arsenic trioxide? Breathing arsenic trioxide can cause nose and throat irritation, but generally, a person cannot inhale enough to severely harm internal organs. Skin or eye contact can cause irritation. Intentional or unintentional swallowing of even a tiny amount of arsenic trioxide can cause severe vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and shock, as well as seizures; coma; damage to the liver, kidneys, nerves, and bone marrow; and death. Can arsenic trioxide poisoning be treated? Washing arsenical residues from
