Nutritional deficiency and arsenical manifestations: a perspective study in an arsenic-endemic region of West Bengal, India

Abstract

Objective: To assess whether nutritional deficiency increases susceptibility to arsenic-related health effects. Design: Assessment of nutrition was based on a 24 h recall method of all dietary constituents. Setting: Epidemiological cross-sectional study was conducted in an arsenicendemic area of West Bengal with groundwater arsenic contamination. Subjects: The study was composed of two groups -Group 1 (cases, n 108) exhibiting skin lesions and Group 2 (exposed controls, n 100) not exhibiting skin lesions -age-and sex-matched and having similar arsenic exposure through drinking water and arsenic levels in urine and hair. Results: Both groups belonged to low socio-economic strata (Group 1 significantly poorer, P , 0?01) and had low BMI (prevalence of BMI , 18?5 kg/m 2 : in 38 % in Group 1 and 27 % in Group 2). Energy intake was below the Recommended Daily Allowance (set by the Indian Council of Medical Research) in males and females in both groups. Increased risk of arsenical skin lesions was found for those in the lowest quintile of protein intake (v. highest quintile: OR 5 4?60, 95 % CI 1?36, 15?50 in males; OR 5 5?62, 95 % CI 1?19, 34?57 in females). Significantly lower intakes of energy, protein, thiamin, niacin, Mg, Zn and choline were observed in both males and females of Group 1 compared with Group 2. Significantly lower intakes of carbohydrate, riboflavin, niacin and Cu were also observed in female cases with skin lesions compared with non-cases. Conclusions: Deficiencies of Zn, Mg and Cu, in addition to protein, B vitamins and choline, are found to be associated with arsenical skin lesions in West Bengal. Keywords Arsenic manifestations Energy intake Micronutrients ProteinArsenic exposure through drinking water is a major health problem affecting many countries such as Bangladesh,

Maternal arsenic exposure and birth outcomes: A comprehensive review of the epidemiologic literature focused on drinking water

“…However, such misclassification would likely be non-differential by outcome and bias results towards the null hypothesis. Importantly, there was no assessment made for confounding by covariates of importance including age (Newburn-Cook and Onyskiw, 2005; Vahter et al, 2007) and nutritional status (Chakraborti et al, 2004; Deb et al, 2013). For example, the positive association between duration of contaminated well use and LBW might simply reflect more advanced maternal age.…”

Prevalence of Arsenicosis and Its Relation to Drinking Water in Titabor Block of Jorhat District, Assam, India

“…10.11,15 Arsenicosis may also cause weakness, anaemia, conjunctival congestion, chronic lung disease, peripheral neuropathy, encephalopathy, bronchitis, noncirrhotic portal hypertension (NCPH), portal hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, renal and endocrinal dysfunction. 4,5,7,11,12,16,17 The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified arsenic in drinking water as a ''Group I'' human carcinogen. 15,18 Chronic ingestion of inorganic arsenic can cause skin, bladder, kidney and lung cancer in humans.…”

“…4,10,13 Different studies conducted in Taiwan, India and Argentina shows that malnutrition increases the risk of arsenic-induced diseases in humans. 17 Arsenic can pass through the placenta to the developing foetus. Studies conducted in Bangladesh, Taiwan and Chile suggest that high arsenic exposure in drinking water during pregnancy increases risks of spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, preterm delivery, decreased birth weight and infant mortality.…”

Current research trends on arsenic toxicology

“…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).…”