Tips & Warnings. Steam the tamales in a specified steamer basket. If you have a steamer pot or basket that does not use a stove top for heating, you will need to pour boiling water into the base of the pot and cover with a lid for 1 to 2 hours. Make reference to the instruction manual provided for your particular model to verify.
Arsenic is a trace element that occurs naturally in very small amounts in the diet. Its exact functions are not known. The estimated adult daily intake of arsenic from a typical diet is 12-50 mcg. A dietary requirement of 12-25 mcg/day has been suggested.
Arsenic Contamination of Water. Arsenic is a semi-metallic element with the chemical symbol As.. It is a member of the nitrogen family, occurs naturally in rocks and soils, and can contaminate water that comes in contact with these rocks and soils.