PIE # 104 - The Largest Mass Poisoning In the History of Humankind

(16.01.2016) Larissa Dobrzhinetskaya

"The Largest Mass Poisoning In the History of Humankind ".

Arsenic (element #33) belongs to the category of metalloids. On Earth, arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in conjunction with sulfur and metals, and also exists as a native (As) with crystalline structure. It is widely used in the glass and semiconductor manufacturing industries, for wood treatments, in agricultural sectors, and in extremely small doses in medicine. Since ancient time, arsenic has been known as a poison. My talk is devoted to environmental and geological studies showing how minerals of the arsenic group poisoned hundreds of thousands of people in countries overburdened with a large population, poverty, common illiteracy, and frequent natural disasters. The talk will be given as a Power Point Presentation accompanied by short videos from YouTube.