Which risk was amplified in ancient Mesopotamia when arsenic impurities diffused intergranularly within cast bronze tools?

💡 Explanation

When arsenic segregates into the grain boundaries of bronze, stress-induced intergranular fracture occurs because arsenic weakens the metallic bonds between the grains, reducing fracture toughness. Therefore, crack propagation accelerates, rather than reduced hardness, increased corrosion, or decreased conductivity, which depend on bulk properties rather than grain boundary effects.

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