New Fear Associated With Arsenic: Shortness Of Breath

December 7, 2011

By Kevin Westerling, Web Editor

A new study finds a link between high levels of arsenic in drinking water and shortness of breath, suggesting that the known carcinogen may also be doing damage to organ systems, according to a report by Reuters. The study was conducted in Bangladesh, which is known for high arsenic levels due to natural underground deposits of the metal. Among 12,000 participants, researchers found that the higher the concentration of arsenic in their drinking water, the greater the incidence of shortness of breath.

In Bangladesh, the drinking water standard for arsenic is less than 50 micrograms/liter. The results established that participants exposed to arsenic levels greater than the 50-microgram standard were 8% more likely to experience shortness of breath. In subjects exposed to arsenic levels over 90 micrograms/liter, the figure jumped to 50%. Factors such as smoking were considered, with consistent findings attributing inflammation and widening of the airways due to arsenic exposure.

The study, which appears in the European Respiratory Journal, does not identify specific illnesses that may be caused by arsenic, but notes that breathing problems are commonly associated with diseases of the heart and lungs.

Researchers did note, however, that the concerns stemming from the study should not be confined to Bangladesh and its unusually high arsenic levels. While the World Health Organization's drinking water standard for arsenic is less than 10 micrograms/liter, the Reuters article reports that additional studies suggest that even levels below that standard can be harmful.

"It is really a universal problem," said epidemiologist Kristina Zierold, who has studied arsenic at the University of Louisville, but was not part of the Bangladesh project. "The reality is, in the U.S. we have people who drink well water too in places where arsenic is in the bedrock."

Dr. Ana Navas-Acien of John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, also interviewed by Reuters, suggested adding filtering to water systems to mitigate arsenic exposure, though she acknowledged the infrastructure expenses it would incur. However, with information now linking arsenic to cancer, cardiovascular disease, and breathing problems, Navas-Acien called it "unacceptable that there are still many people around the world, including in the U.S., that are still drinking water with levels above the arsenic standard."

What are your thoughts on these latest arsenic findings? With U.S. arsenic standards mirroring the WHO standard at 10 parts per billion (1 ppb = 1 microgram/liter), many U.S. utilities are already struggling to keep pace with regulatory requirements. Do these additional health concerns related to arsenic exposure change your thinking about current standards and practices?

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