Fate of arsenic in living systems: Implications for sustainable and safe food chains.

Arsenic, a group 1 carcinogen for humans, is abundant as compared to other trace elements in the environment and is present mainly in the Earth's crust and soil. The arsenic distributions in different geographical regions are dependent on their geological histories. Anthropogenic activities also contribute significantly to arsenic release into the environment. Arsenic presents several complications to humans, animals, and plants. The physiology of plants and their growth and development are affected by arsenic. Arsenic is known to cause cancer and several types of organ toxicity, such as cardiotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and hepatotoxicity. In the environment, arsenic exists in variable forms both as inorganic and organic species. From arsenic containing compartments, plants can absorb and accumulate arsenic. Crops grown on these contaminated soils pose several-fold higher toxicity to humans compared with drinking water if arsenic enters the food chain. Information regarding arsenic transfer at different trophic levels in food chains has not been summarized until now. The present review focuses on the food chain perspective of arsenic, which affects all components of the food chain during its course. The circumstances that facilitate arsenic accumulation in flora and fauna, as components of the food chain, are outlined in this review.

Primary hydatid disease of breast: a case report.

Human hydatid disease, or echinococcosis, is a helminthic infection that leads to the formation of fluid-filled cysts in the liver, lungs and other organs. Breast, is a rare primary site of hydatid disease. We report a case of a 45 years old female who presented with a breast lump of 2 years duration. On fine needle aspiration cytology a diagnosis of fibrocystic changes of the breast was made and ultrasonography breast showed a thick walled infected cystic lesion. Intraoperatively, a diagnosis of hydatid cyst was made which was confirmed on histopathology.