Water arsenic including in public water is linked to higher urinary
arsenic totals among the U.S. population
Highest concentrations found in the West and South and among Mexican
American and other Hispanic participants

Date:
April 20, 2023
Source:
Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health
Summary:
A new study shows that water arsenic levels are linked to higher
urinary arsenic among the U.S. population for users of both private
wells and public water systems.


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FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A new study by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of
Public Health shows that water arsenic levels are linked to higher
urinary arsenic among the U.S. population for users of both private
wells and public water systems. The findings are published in the journal Environmental Research.


========================================================================== Long-term exposure to arsenic even at low and moderate levels can
increase the risk of cancer and other types of chronic disease. While
drinking water along with diet is a major source of arsenic for the
general population, the contribution of arsenic in drinking water to
total arsenic exposure has been unclear in U.S. populations, especially
at less than high levels in public water supplies.

The researchers evaluated the association between arsenic in private
wells and public water supplies using urinary arsenic biomarkers within
U.S. populations.

"To date, no nationwide study had evaluated the link between drinking
water arsenic with arsenic biomarkers in urine to assess how drinking
water contributes to arsenic exposure for both regulated community
water systems (CWS) and unregulated private wells," said Maya Spaur,
a PhD candidate in environmental health sciences at Columbia Mailman
School of Public Health.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry includes arsenic as a potent carcinogen
and toxicant associated with numerous adverse health outcomes, ranking
it number one on their substance priority list. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates arsenic in public drinking water
supplies and sets the maximum contaminant level (MCL) allowable in public
water systems. However, differences in CWS arsenic concentrations persist across the U.S.

In 2006, the EPA reduced allowable maximum contaminant levels to10 myg/L,
from 50 myg/L. However, based solely on risk to health, the EPA set an MCL
goal (MCLG) of 0 myg/L. In addition to community water systems, arsenic exposure from drinking water is also a major concern for approximately
40 million U.S.

residents reliant on private well water. However private wells are not
subject to EPA's MCL or other federal regulations.

To conduct the study the researchers evaluated 11,088 participants
from the 2003-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
(NHANES). For each participant, the researchers assigned private well
and CWS arsenic levels according to county of residence using estimates previously derived by the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Geological Survey. Participants
also completed an in-person interview, dietary recall, and physical examination.

The average recalibrated urinary dimethylarsinate (rDMA), the main
metabolite of arsenic excreted in urine was 2.52 myg/L among private well
users and 2.64 myg/L among CWS users. Urinary rDMA was highest among participants in the West and South, and among Mexican American, other
Hispanic, and non-Hispanic other participants. Urinary rDMA levels were 25 percent and 20 percent higher comparing the highest to the lowest third of
the population distribution of CWS and private well arsenic, respectively.

"We found that higher private well and public water arsenic levels were
linked to higher urinary arsenic among NHANES participants," noted
Spaur. "We further observed very similar relationships between water
arsenic and urinary arsenic for both regulated public water supplies
and unregulated private wells, but did see differences by region with
the strongest associations in the South and West, and among Mexican
American participants. Our findings show that water arsenic, including
in public water, is a major contributor to total arsenic as measured in
urine. Additional efforts are needed to target regions and communities
that continue to experience higher exposure." "Evaluating the link
between drinking water arsenic and arsenic levels within U.S. populations
is critical for informing drinking water regulatory policies going forward
and for identifying communities that need additional financial, technical,
and regulatory assistance to reduce the exposure to their residents,"
said Anne E. Nigra, assistant professor of environmental health sciences
at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, and senior author.

Co-authors are Melissa Lombard and Joseph Ayotte, U.S. Geological Survey,
New England Water Science Center; Benjamin Bostick and Steven Chillrud,
Lamont- Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University; and Ana Navas-Acienand Anne Nigra, Columbia Public Health.

The study was supported by NIEHS grants P42ES010349 and P30ES009089,
and F31ES034284, and by NIH/National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research grant DP5OD031849.

* RELATED_TOPICS
o Health_&_Medicine
# Public_Health_Education # Health_Policy # Urology #
Workplace_Health
o Earth_&_Climate
# Water # Hazardous_Waste # Drought_Research #
Environmental_Issues
* RELATED_TERMS
o Arsenic o Water_resources o Surface_runoff o
Water_fluoridation o Bismuth o Brackish_water o Lake o Urology

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Columbia_University's_Mailman_School_of_Public_Health.

Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Maya Spaur, Melissa A. Lombard, Joseph D. Ayotte, Benjamin
C. Bostick,
Steven N. Chillrud, Ana Navas-Acien, Anne E. Nigra. Cross-sectional
associations between drinking water arsenic and urinary inorganic
arsenic in the United States: NHANES 2003-2014. Environmental
Research, 2023; 227: 115741 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115741 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/04/230420134547.htm

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