3 ms·

In what environment should we be expected to naturally encounter lead, arsenic, and mercury?

by rgrieselhuber 3y ago

jksflkjl3jk3 3y ago
Just about anywhere in the world that's not a sterilized room.
- rgrieselhuber 3y ago
  I still think it’s a disingenuous argument because we’re talking about elevated levels in food production.
  - smegger001 3y ago
    Not really for example there a naturally occuring high levels of arsenic in the ground water and soil near near cooks inlet Alaska, there's lead in Idaho, and cinnabar (a naturally occuring mercury contain mineral) in California, uranium in Arizona Colorado New Mexico and Wyoming.
  - Dylan16807 3y ago
    It's not disingenuous when people are talking about treating any level like an elevated level.
Herodotus38 3y ago
Arsenic levels in soil can naturally vary depending on minerals under the soil. So you can get more if say you are eating a root vegetable that you need to wash the dirt off vs less from an above ground vegetable. Unfortunately I have learned a lot about this bc our region has unnaturally elevated levels of lead and arsenic die to pesticide use in the past. But can also just be bad luck and natural. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK231016/#:~:text=The%20natural%20arsenic%20content%20in,varies%20considerably%20among%20geographic%20regions https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK231016/#:~:text=The%20....
jandrewrogers 3y ago
Arsenic is naturally found in most water to varying degrees. It is an essential but poorly understood micronutrient. Its toxicity is similar to selenium, another essential micronutrient, so it isn't unique in terms of the dose response. Some plants concentrate it but that usually isn't bioavailable. Background lead levels are sometimes high naturally but those geographies are relatively rare. Lead is usually industrial pollution. Mercury chemistry in nature tends to have very poor bioavailability. Dietary mercury is almost exclusively industrial pollution where mercury is integrated into molecules that are much more bioavailable.

In what environment should we be expected to naturally encounter lead, arsenic, and mercury?

jksflkjl3jk3 3y ago

Just about anywhere in the world that's not a sterilized room.

rgrieselhuber 3y ago
I still think it’s a disingenuous argument because we’re talking about elevated levels in food production.
- smegger001 3y ago
  Not really for example there a naturally occuring high levels of arsenic in the ground water and soil near near cooks inlet Alaska, there's lead in Idaho, and cinnabar (a naturally occuring mercury contain mineral) in California, uranium in Arizona Colorado New Mexico and Wyoming.
- Dylan16807 3y ago
  It's not disingenuous when people are talking about treating any level like an elevated level.

Herodotus38 3y ago

Arsenic levels in soil can naturally vary depending on minerals under the soil. So you can get more if say you are eating a root vegetable that you need to wash the dirt off vs less from an above ground vegetable. Unfortunately I have learned a lot about this bc our region has unnaturally elevated levels of lead and arsenic die to pesticide use in the past. But can also just be bad luck and natural. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK231016/#:~:text=The%20natural%20arsenic%20content%20in,varies%20considerably%20among%20geographic%20regions https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK231016/#:~:text=The%20....

jandrewrogers 3y ago

Arsenic is naturally found in most water to varying degrees. It is an essential but poorly understood micronutrient. Its toxicity is similar to selenium, another essential micronutrient, so it isn't unique in terms of the dose response. Some plants concentrate it but that usually isn't bioavailable. Background lead levels are sometimes high naturally but those geographies are relatively rare. Lead is usually industrial pollution. Mercury chemistry in nature tends to have very poor bioavailability. Dietary mercury is almost exclusively industrial pollution where mercury is integrated into molecules that are much more bioavailable.