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

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