Arsenic in Induced Hair of the Rat and Its Relation to the Content in Various Organs During Chronic Exposure

The study investigated the transfer of arsenic to induced hair in rats during chronic exposure to arsenic, provided as 3 mg per liter in drinking water over 560 days. Initially, there was a sharp increase in arsenic transfer to hair and its content in various organs. Over time, the transfer rate to hair increased steadily, while arsenic levels in the liver and kidneys remained constant, and levels in the brain and other organs increased slowly and irregularly. A statistically significant correlation was found between arsenic levels in hair and organs, with correlation coefficients over 0.7 for the heart, pancreas, and forebrain. The study suggested that arsenic transfer to hair depended on body intake during hair growth and the accumulation of arsenic in the body prior to hair growth.