Arsenic and Environmental Health: State of the Science and Future Research Opportunities

Carlin, Danielle J.; Naujokas, Marisa F.; Bradham, Karen D.; Cowden, John; Heacock, Michelle; Henry, Heather F.; Lee, Janice S.; Thomas, David J.; Thompson, Claudia; Tokar, Erik J.; Waalkes, Michael P.; Birnbaum, Linda S.; Suk, William A.

doi:10.1289/ehp.1510209

Cited by 255 publications

(145 citation statements)

References 115 publications

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“…52,53 Prenatal arsenic exposure may influence the lungs through altered wound repair and extracellular matrix remodeling. Mice exposed to 100 μg/L arsenic prenatally showed increased airway smooth muscle, decreased collagen content and increased airway reactivity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Meta-analysis of Arsenic Exposure and Lung Function: Is There Evidence of Restrictive or Obstructive Lung Disease?

Sanchez

Powers

Perzanowski

et al. 2018

Curr Envir Health Rpt

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Purpose of review: Hundreds of millions of people worldwide are exposed to arsenic via contaminated water. The goal of this study was to identify whether arsenic-associated lung function deficits resemble obstructive- or restrictive-like lung disease, in order to help illuminate a mechanistic pathway and identify at-risk populations. Recent findings: We recently published a qualitative systematic review outlining the body of research on arsenic and non-malignant respiratory outcomes. Evidence from several populations, at different life stages, and at different levels of exposure showed consistent associations of arsenic exposure with chronic lung disease mortality, respiratory symptoms, and lower lung function levels. The published review, however, only conducted a broad qualitative description of the published studies without considering specific spirometry patterns, without conducting a meta-analysis, and without evaluating the dose-response relationship. Summary: We searched PubMed and Embase for studies on environmental arsenic exposure and lung function. We performed a meta-analysis using inverse-variance weighted random-effects models to summarize adjusted effect estimates for arsenic and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and FEV1/FVC ratio. Across nine studies, median water arsenic levels ranged from 23 to 860 μg/L. The pooled estimated mean difference (MD) comparing the highest category of arsenic exposure (ranging from >11 to >800 μg/L) versus the lowest (ranging from <10 to <100 μg/L) for each study for FEV1 was −42 (95% confidence interval (CI): −70, −16) mL and for FVC was −50 (95%CI: −63, −37) mL. Three studies reported effect estimates for FEV1/FVC, for which there was no evidence of an association; the pooled estimated MD was 0.01 (95%CI: −0.005, 0.024). This review supports that arsenic is associated with restrictive impairments based on inverse associations between arsenic and FEV1 and FVC, but not with FEV1/FVC. Future studies should confirm whether low-level arsenic exposure is a restrictive lung disease risk factor in order to identify at-risk populations in the US.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Meta-analysis of Arsenic Exposure and Lung Function: Is There Evidence of Restrictive or Obstructive Lung Disease?

Sanchez

Powers

Perzanowski

et al. 2018

Curr Envir Health Rpt

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“…Susceptibility to the toxic effects of iAs varies considerably between individuals and populations depending on variations in iAs metabolism related to such factors as age, gender, life stage (e.g. pregnancy, lactation), nutritional status, and genetic polymorphisms in the regulation of enzymes responsible for iAs biotransformation (EFSA, 2009); evidence that the gut microbiota could also play a role is emerging (Carlin et al, 2016). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human exposure to dietary inorganic arsenic and other arsenic species: State of knowledge, gaps and uncertainties

Cubadda

Jackson

Cottingham

et al. 2017

Science of The Total Environment

205

113

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Inorganic arsenic (iAs) is ubiquitous in the environment as arsenite (AsIII) and arsenate (AsV) compounds and biotransformation of these toxic chemicals leads to the extraordinary variety of organoarsenic species found in nature. Despite classification as a human carcinogen based on data from populations exposed through contaminated drinking water, only recently has a need for regulatory limits on iAs in food been recognized. The delay was due to the difficulty in risk assessment of dietary iAs, which critically relies on speciation analysis providing occurrence data for iAs in food – and not simply for total arsenic. In the present review the state of knowledge regarding arsenic speciation in food and diet is evaluated with focus on iAs and human exposure assessment through different dietary approaches including duplicate diet studies, market basket surveys, and total diet studies. The analytical requirements for obtaining reliable data for iAs in food are discussed and iAs levels in foods and beverages are summarized, along with information on other (potentially) toxic co-occurring organoarsenic compounds. Quantitative exposure assessment of iAs in food is addressed, focusing on the need of capturing variability and extent of exposure and identifying what dietary items drive very high exposure for certain population groups. Finally, gaps and uncertainties are discussed, including effect of processing and cooking, and iAs bioavailability.

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“…1–3 In base-metal mining regions in the arid and semiarid southwestern United States, arsenic is naturally abundant as arsenopyrite (FeAsS). When exposed to oxygen and water by natural weathering, arsenopyrite dissolves oxidatively, releasing arsenate (AsO 4 3− ) and protons to solution.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanisms of Arsenic Sequestration by Prosopis juliflora during the Phytostabilization of Metalliferous Mine Tailings

Hammond

Root

Maier

et al. 2018

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Phytostabilization is a cost-effective long-term bioremediation technique for the immobilization of metalliferous mine tailings. However, the biogeochemical processes affecting metal(loid) molecular stabilization and mobility in the root zone remain poorly resolved. The roots of Prosopis juliflora grown for up to 36 months in compost-amended pyritic mine tailings from a federal Superfund site were investigated by microscale and bulk synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and multiple energy micro-X-ray fluorescence imaging to determine iron, arsenic, and sulfur speciation, abundance, and spatial distribution. Whereas ferrihydrite-bound As(V) species predominated in the initial bulk mine tailings, the rhizosphere speciation of arsenic was distinctly different. Root-associated As(V) was immobilized on the root epidermis bound to ferric sulfate precipitates and within root vacuoles as trivalent As(III)–(SR)3 tris-thiolate complexes. Molar Fe-to-As ratios of root epidermis tissue were two times higher than the 15% compost-amended bulk tailings growth medium. Rhizoplane-associated ferric sulfate phases that showed a high capacity to scavenge As(V) were dissimilar from the bulk-tailings mineralogy as shown by XAS and X-ray diffraction, indicating a root-surface mechanism for their formation or accumulation.

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Arsenic and Environmental Health: State of the Science and Future Research Opportunities

Cited by 255 publications

References 115 publications

A Meta-analysis of Arsenic Exposure and Lung Function: Is There Evidence of Restrictive or Obstructive Lung Disease?

A Meta-analysis of Arsenic Exposure and Lung Function: Is There Evidence of Restrictive or Obstructive Lung Disease?

Human exposure to dietary inorganic arsenic and other arsenic species: State of knowledge, gaps and uncertainties

Mechanisms of Arsenic Sequestration by Prosopis juliflora during the Phytostabilization of Metalliferous Mine Tailings

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