Recent advances in arsenic mutagenesis and carcinogenesis

Arsenic is ubiquitously distributed in nature and is released into the environment through non-ferrous smelting operations, generation of power from coal, and agriculture. Epidemiological studies have shown that the incidences of epidermoid carcinomas of the skin and lungs, and of pre-cancerous dermal keratoses are significantly increased in human subjects exposed to arsenic compounds by oral or respiratory routes. The negative results obtained on animals treated with arsenicals suggest strongly that this metal is probably a cocarcinogen. The results of the short-term tests suggest that the cocarcinogenic properties of arsenic could be related to its ability to inhibit DNA repair.