Hazardous effects of arsine: a short review.

This review details the known health effects of arsine as well as the existing theories on the mechanism by which arsine exerts its toxic effect and conditions of occupational exposure to this gas. Exposure to arsine in occupational settings occurs mostly in the chemical and metallurgical industries when nascent hydrogen reacts with metallic arsenic or arsenic compounds. The available data indicate that in these branches of industry arsine is often a cause of unexpected serious poisoning. The gas affects primarily blood and kidneys. Acute arsine poisoning is known to result in massive damage to red blood cells through the oxidative mechanism, probably by the formation of hydrogen peroxide and adducts with oxyhemoglobin. According to another hypothesis, arsine acts on sodium-potassium pomp mechanism, producing subsequent red blood cell swelling and hemolysis. Rapid hemolysis may lead to oliguric renal failure and death. Symptoms of chronic poisoning are similar to those observed in acute poisoning. The main difference is a longer latency period. Late effects of chronic exposure to low levels of arsine have not yet been precisely identified.