ABSTRACT

Metalloid arsenic is a well-known poisonous substance affecting multiple organs such as the skin and lungs, the cardiovascular and nervous systems, and others [1]. The manifold toxic effects of arsenic occur from both acute and chronic exposure to it. Arsenic has a long and interesting history as an acute toxic substance [2]. From its use during the Middle Ages to discreetly assassinate European royalty, arsenic earned the expression King of Poisons [3]. To assist in the prosecution of individuals accused of using arsenic as a homicidal agent, James Marsh developed a chemical procedure in 1832 to detect arsenic in various substances [2,4]. The development of this method by Marsh could be considered a dening moment in biomarkers of exposure for arsenic. This is because a fairly simple analytical method could be used to crudely detect and quantify arsenic in biological samples. Today, with the advancements in analytical technology, multiple arsenicals can be identied in one biological sample at the ppb level or lower.