Who Discovered Arsenic? Curious Chemical Element Facts For Kids!

Arsenic is an element that occurs naturally in the Earth's crust, and it is widely distributed in the air, water, and land.

It is extremely poisonous in its inorganic form. The element arsenic belongs to the periodic table's group Va, which combines easily with a wide range of other elements.

Drinking polluted water, utilizing contaminated water in food preparation and irrigation of food crops, industrial activities, eating contaminated food, and smoking tobacco all expose people to high doses of inorganic arsenic. Chronic poisoning can be caused by long-term exposure to inorganic arsenic, which is most commonly acquired by drinking polluted water and eating contaminated food.

The most common side effects include skin blemishes and skin cancer. Inorganic arsenic is a known carcinogen and is the most common chemical contamination found in drinking water across the world.

Arsenic can also be present in organic forms. Organic arsenic and organic arsenic compounds (such as those found in seafood) are less toxic than inorganic arsenic and inorganic arsenic compounds (such as those found in water). Albertus Magnus was the one who discovered it.

After reading about properties, the melting point, and the boiling point of arsenic, also read about who invented the zoo and a rock made of shells and corals cemented together.

Arsenic Symbol, Weight, And Importance

Arsenic is a chemical compound with the formula 'As' and the atomic number 33. Many minerals include arsenic, which is commonly found in conjunction with sulfur and metals, although it may also be found as a pure elemental crystal. It has a melting point of 1,497 °F (813.8 °C) and a boiling point of 1,139 °F (615°C).

It comes in a variety of allotropes, but only the gray form with a metallic look is used in industry.

To boost weight gain, improve feed efficiency, and avoid disease, arsenic is used as a feed supplement in chicken and swine production, particularly in the United States. One example is roxarsone, which was used as a broiler starter by over 70% of broiler farmers in the United States.

In reaction to research revealing higher levels of inorganic arsenic, a carcinogen, in treated hens, Alpharma, a subsidiary of Pfizer Inc., voluntarily halted the distribution of the medicine. Zoetis, Alpharma's successor, continues to sell nitarsone, which is mostly used in turkeys.

Over the last 500 years, arsenic trioxide has been utilized in a number of ways, most notably in the treatment of cancer, but also in treatments such as Dr. Fowler's solution for psoriasis. In the year 2000, the US Food and Drug Administration authorized this chemical for the treatment of individuals with all-trans retinoic acid-resistant acute promyelocytic leukemia.

Arsenic is most commonly used in lead alloys. The inclusion of a tiny proportion of arsenic in automobile batteries strengthens the lead arsenate components. The addition of arsenic to brass reduces dezincification significantly.

Gallium arsenide is a semiconductor material that is commonly utilized in integrated circuits. GaAs-based circuits are substantially quicker (but also much more costly) than silicon-based circuits. GaAs, unlike silicon, have a straight bandgap, allowing them to convert electrical energy directly into light in laser diodes and LEDs.

Arsenic Uses In Daily Life

Arsenic is a toxin that is well known. Rat poisons and pesticides containing arsenic and its compounds are occasionally employed, but their usage is highly regulated.

Surprisingly, arsenic can be used for medicinal purposes. Dr. Fowler's solution (potassium arsenate mixed in water) was a famous cure-all tonic in Victorian times, and even Charles Dickens took it. Organoarsenic chemicals are being used to prevent illness and increase weight growth in chickens.

In semiconductors for solid-state devices, arsenic is used as a doping agent (gallium arsenide). It's used for bronzing, pyrotechnics, and hardening shot, among other things.

Arsenic and its compounds can be used to make specialty glass and maintain the condition of wood.

Arsenic is mostly used in lead alloys (for example, in car batteries and ammunition). In semiconductor electronic devices, arsenic is a frequent n-type dopant.

It's also found in gallium arsenide, an III-V compound semiconductor. Pesticides, treated wood products, herbicides, and insecticides all include arsenic and its derivatives, particularly trioxide. As the toxicity of arsenic and its derivatives is more understood, these applications are dwindling.

Foods That Contain Arsenic

Seafood, rice, rice cereal (and other rice products), mushrooms, and chicken contain the highest quantities of arsenic (in all forms), although many other foods, including some fruit juices, can also contain arsenic.

Rice is of special significance because it is a staple of many people's diets across the world. It's also a key ingredient in a lot of cereals that babies and toddlers eat.

Natural arsenic levels in drinking water from ground sources, such as wells, tend to be greater than in water from surface sources, such as lakes or reservoirs.

Ways In Which Arsenic Affects The Body

Arsenic contamination can lead to skin changes, such as thickness and pigmentation. The likelihood of impact is proportional to the amount of arsenic in the environment, and in locations where drinking water is extensively polluted, these symptoms can be noticed in a large number of people.

Cancer risk is proportional to the amount and duration of exposure to arsenic.

Did You Know...

Arsenic is a chemical element with the atomic number 33 and the symbol 'As' on the periodic table. Many minerals contain arsenic, which is commonly found in conjunction with sulfur and metals, but it can also be found as a pure elemental crystal.

Arsenic is classified as a metalloid. It comes in a variety of allotropes, but only the gray form with a metallic look is used in industry as commercial arsenic and is also used as rat poison.

Arsenic compounds are organic compounds that can be used as respiratory metabolites by a few bacteria species. In rats, hamsters, goats, chickens, and likely other species, trace amounts of arsenic are required as it is an essential element. It's brittle and glassy.

It's also a bad conductor of electricity. Arsenic does not have a melting point at standard pressure because its triple point is 3.628 MPa; instead, when arsenic melts, it changes from solid to vapor at 887 K. Scientists state that it has adverse health effects on humans.

Women ate 'arsenic' (also known as 'white arsenic' or 'arsenic trioxide') combined with vinegar and chalk to improve the complexion of their faces, making their skin lighter to show they did not work in the fields during the Victorian era.

According to the British Geological Survey and the United States Geological Survey, China was the leading producer of white arsenic in 2014, accounting for about 70% of global production, followed by Morocco, Russia, and Belgium. Arsenic exposure is not good for health.

Even pure arsenic is not good for our health. Arsenic is notably less stable in the group oxidation state of +5 than its vertical neighbors phosphorus and antimony, and hence arsenic pentoxide and arsenic acid are potent oxidizers, like germanium, selenium, and bromine.

Arsenic occurs naturally as volcanic ash. Weathering of minerals and ores and mineralized groundwater are all potential causes of human exposure. Food, water, soil, and air all contain arsenic. Although rare, elemental arsenic crystals can be discovered in nature. Even if boiled, it does not form liquid arsenic. It becomes arsenic vapor (arsenic oxide) instead.

Both have four atoms organized in a tetrahedral structure, with each atom connected to the other three atoms by a single bond. Because it is molecular, this unstable allotrope is the most volatile, least dense, and poisonous. Arsenic vapor is rapidly cooled to become solid yellow arsenic. The structure of black arsenic is identical to that of black phosphorus.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for who discovered arsenic then why not take a look at how many cat breeds are there? Cat owner's guide to furry friends or how many months are cats pregnant.