Baby Safety / Compounds / Arsenic trioxide

Is Arsenic trioxide safe for babies and kids?

Context-dependent for kids

(Babies-specific data is limited; this page draws from human pregnant context.) Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Arsenic trioxide, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

What is arsenic trioxide?

The IUPAC name is Diarsenic trioxide.

Also known as: Diarsenic trioxide, Arsenic oxide (As2O3), Arsentrioxide, Arseni trioxydum.

IUPAC name
Diarsenic trioxide
CAS number
1327-53-3
Molecular formula
As2O3
Molecular weight
197.84 g/mol
SMILES
[O-2].[O-2].[O-2].[As+3].[As+3]
PubChem CID
14888

Risk for babies

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Arsenic trioxide, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

No specific reproductive toxicity data identified, but pregnancy-specific safety data is limited for most chemicals. Precautionary minimization of exposure is recommended.

What to do: Minimize exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Consult healthcare provider regarding specific risks. Consider alternative products with lower hazard profiles.

Risk for pregnant and nursing people

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Arsenic trioxide, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

No specific reproductive toxicity data identified, but pregnancy-specific safety data is limited for most chemicals. Precautionary minimization of exposure is recommended.

What to do: Minimize exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Consult healthcare provider regarding specific risks. Consider alternative products with lower hazard profiles.

Regulatory consensus

2 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Arsenic trioxide. The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EPA——
IARC——

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where kids encounter arsenic trioxide

  • mining and smelting
  • agriculture (historically)
  • laboratory use
  • pharmaceutical manufacture

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Arsenic trioxide:

  • All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA)
    Trade-offs: Differentiation syndrome risk. Less effective as monotherapy in high-risk APL.
    Relative cost: Lower than arsenic trioxide (Trisenox)
  • Chromated copper arsenate (CCA) → alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ)
    Trade-offs: Higher corrosion of metal fasteners. Slightly lower efficacy against marine borers.
    Relative cost: 1.2-1.5×

Frequently asked questions

What products contain arsenic trioxide?

Arsenic trioxide appears in: mining and smelting; agriculture (historically); laboratory use.

See Arsenic trioxide in the baby app

Look up products containing arsenic trioxide, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

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Sources (1)
  1. ATSDR Toxicological Profile — CAS 1327-53-3 — reference

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →