Arsenic is found naturally in the environment. People may be exposed to arsenic by eating food, drinking water, breathing air, or by skin contact with soil or water that contains arsenic. In the U.S., the diet is a predominant source of exposure for the general population with smaller amounts coming from drinking water and air. Children may also be exposed to arsenic because of hand to mouth contact or eating dirt. In addition to the normal levels of arsenic in air, water, soil, and food, people could by exposed to higher levels in several ways such as in areas containing unusually high natural levels of arsenic in rocks which can lead to unusually high levels of arsenic in soil or water. People living in an area like this could take in elevated amounts of arsenic in drinking water. Workers in an occupation that involves arsenic production or use (for example, copper or lead smelting, wood treatment, pesticide application) could be exposed to elevated levels of arsenic at work. People who saw or sand arsenic-treated wood could inhale/ingest some of the sawdust which contains high levels of arsenic. Similarly, when pressure-treated wood is burned, high levels of arsenic could be released in the smoke. In agricultural areas where arsenic pesticides were used on crops the soil could contain high levels of arsenic. Some hazardous waste sites contain large quantities of arsenic. Arsenic ranks #1 on the ATSDR/EPA priority list of hazardous substances. Arsenic has been found in at least 1,014 current or former NPL sites. At the hazardous waster sites evaluated by ATSDR, exposure to arsenic in soil predominated over exposure to water, and no exposure to air had been recorded. However, there is no information on morbidity or mortality from exposure to arsenic in soil at hazardous waste sites. Exposure assessment, community and tribal involvement, and evaluation and surveillance of health effects are among the ATSDR future Superfund research program priority focus areas. Examples of exposures to arsenic in drinking water, diet and pesticide are given.

中文翻译：

---

案例研究-砷。

砷自然存在于环境中。人们可能通过饮食，饮用水，呼吸空气或皮肤与含有砷的土壤或水接触而暴露于砷中。在美国，饮食是一般人群的主要暴露来源，其中少量饮水和空气来自暴露。儿童也可能由于手与口接触或进食灰尘而接触到砷。除了空气，水，土壤和食物中砷的正常含量外，人们还可以通过几种方式暴露于较高水平的砷中，例如在岩石中天然砷含量异常高的地区，这可能导致砷含量异常高。在土壤或水中。生活在这样一个地区的人可能会摄入大量的砷。涉及砷生产或使用（例如，铜或铅冶炼，木材处理，农药施用）的职业中的工人可能会在工作中暴露于高水平的砷中。看到或打磨经过砷处理的木材的人可能会吸入/摄入一些砷含量高的木屑。同样，燃烧经过压力处理的木材时，烟雾中可能释放出大量的砷。在农作物上使用砷农药的农业地区，土壤中可能含有高含量的砷。一些危险废物场所含有大量的砷。砷在ATSDR / EPA有害物质优先列表中排名第一。在至少1,014个当前或以前的不良贷款场所中发现了砷。在美国毒物与疾病登记署评估的危险废物现场，土壤中砷的暴露量远高于水的暴露量，没有空气暴露的记录。但是，没有关于危险废物场所土壤中砷暴露的发病率或死亡率的信息。暴露评估，社区和部落的参与以及对健康影响的评估和监督是美国毒物与疾病登记署未来超级基金研究计划的重点重点领域。给出了饮用水，饮食和农药中砷的暴露实例。