My assertion on the toxicity of arsenic released by mining is far from ‘fantastical’

James Crossland of Kinross Gold Corporation (Letter, 27 May) correctly recognises me as one of Kinross’s opponents, which gives me some hope that he may watch more carefully what I have to say. It is true, and not “fantastical” as he claims, that around 1 million tonnes of inorganic arsenic released by Kinross from the hard rocks in Paracatu can potentially impact some 7 trillion people, as 1 gram of inorganic arsenic equals a total lethal dose for 7 adult people. This is not the whole truth on my assertion, though, since I take factors such as arsenic bioaccessibility, terminal half-life, bioaccumulation and osteoresorptive arsenic intoxication into account in my health risk estimations, and in diagnosing arsenicosis in my patients. In his capacity as Kinross’s executive vice-president on duty of corporate responsibility, Crossland – an experienced professional of communications and public relations – must know that taking the part for the whole can be imprecise, controversial or even offensive.
Sergio Dani
Bern, Switzerland