The presence of heavy metals and other trace elements as contaminants in phosphate rock-based fertilisers has long been known.
These contaminants include cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), lead (Pb). To a greater or lesser extent, these elements may enter the food chain when fertilisers are applied to the soil, and could pose a risk to human health. This second information sheet provides a brief toxprofile on arsenic by the Swiss Center for Applied Human Toxicology, SCAHT, University of Basel (2018).