While diet as well as drinking water is a major source of arsenic for the general population
supply.
Researchers evaluated the association between arsenic in private wells and public water supplies within a US population using urinary arsenic biomarkers. “To date, no nationwide study had evaluated the association between arsenic in drinking water with arsenic biomarkers in urine to assess whether drinking water was derived from both regulated community water systems (CWS) and unregulated private wells.” How does arsenic contribute to the risk for cancer,” Maya Spaur, a Ph.D. .D. candidate in environmental health sciences at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health.
Included in the US Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates arsenic in public drinking water supplies and sets allowable maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) in public water systems. However, differences in CWS arsenic concentrations persist across the U.S.
Hidden health threat to the US population
In 2006, the EPA reduced the maximum allowable contaminant levels from 50 µg/L to 10 µg/L. However, based on risk to health only, the EPA has set an MCL target (MCLG) of 0 µg/L.
In addition to community water systems, Arsenic exposure from drinking water is also a major concern for approximately 40 million US residents. Dependent on private well water although private wells are not subject to EPA’s MCL or other federal regulations.
To conduct the study, researchers evaluated 11,088 participants from the 2003-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
For each participant, the researchers determined private well and CWS arsenic levels by county of residence using previously obtained estimates by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Geological Survey.
Uncover dangerous link between arsenic and public water
Participants also completed an in-person interview, dietary recall, and physical examination. The mean recalibrated urinary dimethylarsenate (RDMA), the main metabolite of arsenic excreted in urine, was 2.52 µg/l among private well users and 2.64 µg/l among CWS users.
Urinary rDMA was highest among participants in the West and South, and in Mexican American, other Hispanic and non-Hispanic other participants.
Compared to the highest to lowest third of the population distribution of CWS and private follicle arsenic, urinary RDMA levels were 25 percent and 20 percent higher, respectively.
“We found that higher private well and public water arsenic levels were associated with higher urinary arsenic among NHANES participants,” Spauer said. “We observed very similar associations between water arsenic and urinary arsenic for both regulated public water supplies and unregulated private wells, but differences by region, with the strongest associations in the South and West and among Mexican American participants. Our findings suggests that water arsenic, including public water, is a major contributor to total arsenic measured in urine. Additional efforts are needed to target areas and communities that continue to experience high exposure.”
Anne E., “Evaluating the relationship between drinking water arsenic and arsenic levels within the US population is important for advancing drinking water regulatory policies and identifying communities that need to do additional things to reduce their residents’ exposure.” Financial, technical and regulatory support is needed.” Nigra, assistant professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health and senior author.
Source: Eurekalert
