 Discovery Information |
| Who: Albertus Magna |
| When: 1250 |
| Where: Unknown |
|
| Name Origin |
| Greek: arsenikos (male); Latin: arsenicum. |
|
| Sources |
| Found in mispickel (arsenopyrite). |
|
| Uses |
| Used as a deadly poison, in shotgun pellets, metal for mirrors, glass, lasers, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and in semiconductors. |
|
| Notes |
| Arsenic is a carcinogen, associated with lung cancer when inhaled. Contact with skin can result in skin cancer. Also damage to intestines and liver. Toxic when ingested. It is found in pesticides and wood preservatives. It is naturally occurring in many household products. |
| In Victorian times, arsenic was mixed with vinegar and chalk and then eaten by women to improve the complexion of their faces, making their skin more fair to show they did not work in the fields. Arsenic was also rubbed into the faces and arms of women to improve their complexion. |
