Enhanced carcinogenicity by coexposure to arsenic and iron and a novel remediation system for the elements in well drinking water

Abstract

Various carcinomas including skin cancer are explosively increasing in arsenicosis patients who drink arsenic-polluted well water, especially in Bangladesh. Although well drinking water in the cancer-prone areas contains various elements, very little is known about the effects of elements except arsenic on carcinogenicity. In order to clarify the carcinogenic effects of coexposure to arsenic and iron, anchorage-independent growth and invasion in human untransformed HaCaT and transformed A431 keratinocytes were examined. Since the mean ratio of arsenic and iron in well water was 1:10 in cancer-prone areas of Bangladesh, effects of 1 μM arsenic and 10 μM iron were investigated. Iron synergistically promoted arsenic-mediated anchorage-independent growth in untransformed and transformed keratinocytes. Iron additionally increased invasion in both types of keratinocytes. Activities of c-SRC and ERK that regulate anchorage-independent growth and invasion were synergistically enhanced in both types of keratinocytes. Our results suggest that iron promotes arsenic-mediated transformation of untransformed keratinocytes and progression of transformed keratinocytes. We then developed a low-cost and high-performance adsorbent composed of a hydrotalcite-like compound for arsenic and iron. The adsorbent rapidly reduced concentrations of both elements from well drinking water in cancer-prone areas of Bangladesh to levels less than those in WHO health-based guidelines for drinking water. Thus, we not only demonstrated for the first time increased carcinogenicity by coexposure to arsenic and iron but also proposed a novel remediation system for well drinking water.

Oral exposure to arsenic causes hearing loss in young people aged 12–29 years and in young mice

“…Contamination of arsenic (As) in drinking well water has been reported worldwide 1–3 . About 20 million people in Bangladesh are exposed to As by drinking well water in which As levels are above the national standard of 50 µg/L 4 .…”

Current research trends on arsenic toxicology

“…Thus, in Bangladesh well water, combinations of As and Fe are found, and Fe may act synergistically on distinct signalling pathways, as now shown by Kumasaka et al (2013). The authors demonstrate that this situation is improved by remediation of the water using a low-cost and high-performance absorbent.…”

“…As far as exposure is concerned, the most important matter of current publications is drinking water pollution (Maity et al 2012;Deb et al 2012;Guha Mazumder et al 2012;Marchiset-Ferlay et al 2012;Chen et al 2012;Kumasaka et al 2013). Another contemporary issue coming into focus is environmental contamination from (former) mining activities (Coelho et al 2012;Li et al 2012;Chakraborti et al 2012) and from waste deposits (Moreno-Santini et al 2012).…”

Penelitian Genom dan Implikasinya dalam Kesehatan Masyarakat di Indonesia

“…9 Penelitian lain menunjukan bahwa terjadi peningkatan kejadian kanker kulit di Bangladesh karena banyaknya penduduk yang mengonsumsi air minum yang tercemar arsenik. 10 Polutan atau senyawa kimia, yang telah diabsorpsi pa-…”