arsenicism

9.9

A disease caused by long exposure to arsenic in water or soil

noun
/ˌɑːrsəˈnɪsɪm/

Specialized

: arsenicismo

The workers showed symptoms of arsenicism after handling arsenic-laden materials without proper protection.

Examples

Doctors diagnosed her with arsenicism due to her history of living near a contaminated site.
Long-term exposure to arsenic can lead to severe health issues, including arsenicism.
Rosenberg HG. 1974. Systemic arterial disease and chronic arsenicism in infants. Arch Pathol 97(6):360-365.

Academic text (2012)

Surface Forms

arsenicism singular

arsenicisms plural

Morphology

arsenicism = arsenic (transparent) = arsenic + ism

Formed by the noun 'arsenic' plus the standard noun-forming suffix '-ism' indicating a condition or state related to arsenic exposure.

Etymology

Arsenicism comes from arsenic, the poisonous element, and the ending -ism, which here means 'a condition'. Because arsenic was long known as a strong poison, arsenicism means the sickness caused by exposure to arsenic.