Perspectives on arsenic toxicity, carcinogenicity and its systemic remediation strategies

Abstract

Bioaccumulation of heavy metal in biological systems is an important cause of concern for environmental health and safety. Arsenic is one of the most hazardous metalloid, deserves special attention on account of its toxicity and carcinogenicity in the environment. The present paper reviews the current knowledge about the toxicity, carcinogenicity, and remediation strategies for arsenic removal from the environmental systems. The toxicity of arsenic depends mainly upon its speciation. Exposures of arsenic in drinking water lead to the cancer of skin, lungs, and bladder. The paper gives an insight into the arsenic removal by physicochemical processes, and the feasibility of using biological methods, the use of bacteria, and algae, its potential for sustainable use and environmental compatibility. The ability of the microbes to remove the metalloid via the process of mobilization and sorption of arsenic through the oxidation, reduction, methylation, and co-precipitation has been discussed in this paper. Lastly, the use of in silico approach to study the remediation of arsenic with the aid of systemic strategies, genomics, and molecular docking.