Carcinogenicity of Inorganic Arsenics and Its Mechanistic Concepts

Abstract

Inorganic arsenics such as arsenite and arsenate have been concluded to have human carcinogenicity for skin and lung by epidemiological studies, although animal experimental evidence for their carcinogenicity is inadequate for evaluation. Moreover, genotoxic action of arsenics is obscure; inorganic arsenics do not induce point mutation but induce chromosomal aberrations, transformation, and other genetic damage. Here we review and evaluate the published information on arsenic genotoxicity and carcinogenicity in humans and animals, including current mechanistic concepts.