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The highest concentrations of arsenic and its inorganic compounds in the Canadian environment occur near active and abandoned gold- and base-metal mining and ore processing facilities, and in areas affected by the use of arsenical pesticides. Mean arsenic concentrations of up to 0.3 µg/m3 in air, 45 µg/L in surface waters, 100 to 5 000 mg/kg in sediments and 50 to 110 mg/kg in soils have been found near these sources in several regions of Canada; most (= 80%) of this arsenic is likely inorganic. In addition, an average of up to 35 mg inorganic As/kg (dry weight) may be present in the diet of fish, and 109 µg inorganic As/kg body weight per day may be present in the diet of fish-eating mammals near gold-mining areas in Canada. These concentrations of arsenic are high enough to cause, or to have the potential to cause, adverse effects in a variety of aquatic and terrestrial organisms.
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