Occurrence in nature: Arsenic is present in all types of soils and is a constituent of several minerals. The main sources of contamination are pesticides and industrial wastes.
Occurrence in tobacco: Arsenic is taken up from the agricultural soil by the roots of the tobacco plant as a pollution and is transported to the leaves. Arsenic has no function in the plant.
Occurrence in foodstuffs: Arsenic is present in trace amounts in most foodstuffs, such as cereals, fruits and fish. Shellfish contains slightly higher levels of arsenic.There exists no threshold value for arsenic in foodstuffs in Sweden.
Page updated May 15, 2008