Electromyographic Abnormalities in Chronic Environmental Arsenicalism

Abstract

In this study of 92 people using wells with arsenic concentrations of >0.05 ppm (and with 21 control subjects), 27 of them had clinical features possibly attributable to chronic arsenic poisoning. There was a positive relationship between frequency of clinical features, and well and hair arsenic concentrations. Although the relationship between toxicity and hair arsenic concentration was rather varied, 1 ppm appears to be satisfactory upper limit of acceptability. For drinking water, an acceptable limit of 0.01 ppm and a maximum permissible limit of 0.05 ppm of arsenic appear satisfactory, but leave little safety margin.