ABSTRACT
Arseniasis (manifested in the form of skin lesions, vascular damage, cancers of the bladder, lung, liver and kidney, etc.) arises from the ingestion of excessive quantities of arsenic, through drinking water (as in Bangladesh, West Bengal (India), Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Xinjiang (China), Taiwan, western USA, Argentina, Chile, etc – vide comprehensive reviews by Aswathanarayana, 2001; Chappell et al., 2002), diet (Norra et al., 2005; Mukherjee et al., 2006) and inhalation of arsenic-containing aerosols (arising from the burning of high-As coal for cooking, keeping warm and drying of grains, as in Guizhou province of China; Sun, 1999). In consonance with the theme of the volume, the chapter traces the pathway of arsenic to man through food, in relation to the content of the element in irrigation water.
