Case-Control Study of Bladder Cancer and Exposure to Arsenic in Argentina

Bates, Michael; Rey, Omar A.; Biggs, Mary L.; Hopenhayn, Claudia; Moore, Lee E.; Kalman, David A.; Steinmaus, Craig; Smith, Allan H.

doi:10.1093/aje/kwh054

Cited by 180 publications

(126 citation statements)

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“…Health problems observed in the Argentine population are symptomatic of arsenic exposure (Steinmaus et al 2006;Tchounwou et al 2003). The most common manifestation is from skin disorders (lesions, keratosis, hyperpigmentation), but other more chronic conditions have been reported such as cancers (Steinmaus et al 2006;Bates et al 2004;Farías et al 2003;Hopenhayn-Rich et al 1998). Remediation and mitigation strategies have been adopted in the provinces.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Arsenic contamination of natural waters in San Juan and La Pampa, Argentina

O'Reilly

Watts

Shaw

et al. 2010

Environ Geochem Health

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Arsenic (As) speciation in surface and groundwater from two provinces in Argentina (San Juan and La Pampa) was investigated using solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridge methodology with comparison to total arsenic concentrations. A third province, Río Negro, was used as a control to the study. Strong cation exchange (SCX) and strong anion exchange (SAX) cartridges were utilised in series for the separation and preservation of arsenite (As ). Samples were collected from a range of water outlets (rivers/streams, wells, untreated domestic taps, well water treatment works) to assess the relationship between total arsenic and arsenic species, water type and water parameters (pH, conductivity and total dissolved solids, TDS). Analysis of the waters for arsenic (total and species) was performed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in collision cell mode. Total arsenic concentrations in the surface and groundwater from Encon and the San José de Jáchal region of San Juan (north-west Argentina within the Cuyo region) ranged from 9 -357 μg l -1As. Groundwater from Eduardo Castex (EC) and Ingeniero Luiggi (LU) in La Pampa (central Argentina within the Chaco-Pampean Plain) ranged from 3 -1326 μg l -1As. The pH range for the provinces of San Juan (7.2 -9.7) and La Pampa (7.0 -9.9) are in agreement with other published literature. The highest total arsenic concentrations were found in La Pampa well waters (both rural farms and pre-treated urban sources), particularly where there was high pH (typically > 8.2), conductivity (> 2600 μS cm As. Arsenic species for both provinces were predominantly As for groundwater, respectively. This translates to a relative As III abundance of 69 -100 % of the total arsenic in surface waters and 32 -100 % in groundwater. This is unexpected because it is typically thought that in oxidising conditions (surface waters), the dominant arsenic species is As V . However, data from the SPE methodology suggests that As III is the prevalent species in San Juan, indicating a greater influence from reductive processes. La Pampa groundwater had As (equating to up to 33 % of the total arsenic). Previously published literature has focused primarily on the inorganic arsenic species, however this study highlights the potentially significant concentrations of organoarsenicals present in natural waters. The potential for separating and preserving individual arsenic species in the field to avoid transformation during transport to the laboratory, enabling an accurate assessment of in-situ arsenic speciation in water supplies is discussed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Arsenic contamination of natural waters in San Juan and La Pampa, Argentina

O'Reilly

Watts

Shaw

et al. 2010

Environ Geochem Health

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“…One difficulty in studying low-level exposures is the prolonged latency of arsenic-caused cancer (2, [4][5][6]. This long latency period means that exposure data must be available for a period of several decades or more in order to identify true overall risks.…”

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confidence: 99%

Elevated Lung Cancer in Younger Adults and Low Concentrations of Arsenic in Water

Steinmaus¹,

Ferreccio²,

Yuan³

et al. 2014

American Journal of Epidemiology

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Arsenic concentrations greater than 100 µg/L in drinking water are a known cause of cancer, but the risks associated with lower concentrations are less well understood. The unusual geology and good information on past exposure found in northern Chile are key advantages for investigating the potential long-term effects of arsenic. We performed a case-control study of lung cancer from 2007 to 2010 in areas of northern Chile that had a wide range of arsenic concentrations in drinking water. Previously, we reported evidence of elevated cancer risks at arsenic concentrations greater than 100 µg/L. In the present study, we restricted analyses to the 92 cases and 288 populationbased controls who were exposed to concentrations less than 100 µg/L. After adjustment for age, sex, and smoking behavior, these exposures from 40 or more years ago resulted in odds ratios for lung cancer of 1.00, 1.43 (90% confidence interval: 0.82, 2.52), and 2.01 (90% confidence interval: 1.14, 3.52) for increasing tertiles of arsenic exposure, respectively (P for trend = 0.02). Mean arsenic water concentrations in these tertiles were 6.5, 23.0, and 58.6 µg/L. For subjects younger than 65 years of age, the corresponding odds ratios were 1.00, 1.62 (90% confidence interval: 0.67, 3.90), and 3.41 (90% confidence interval: 1.51, 7.70). Adjustments for occupation, fruit and vegetable intake, and socioeconomic status had little impact on the results. These findings provide new evidence that arsenic water concentrations less than 100 µg/L are associated with higher risks of lung cancer.arsenic; case-control; drinking water; low exposure; lung cancer; northern Chile Abbreviation: CI, confidence interval.High concentrations of arsenic in drinking water (e.g., >100 µg/L) are known to cause cancer, but the risks associated with exposure to lower concentrations are unclear (1-3). One difficulty in studying low-level exposures is the prolonged latency of arsenic-caused cancer (2,(4)(5)(6). This long latency period means that exposure data must be available for a period of several decades or more in order to identify true overall risks. Another difficulty is that exposure in most arsenic-exposed areas comes from thousands of small private wells, for which historic records are frequently unavailable (7).Northern Chile is the driest habitable place on earth. There are few water sources, and almost everyone lives in a city and drinks water from municipal supplies. These supplies have had a wide range of arsenic concentrations, and historical records are available from 40 years ago or more (8). These factors mean that a person's lifetime exposure can be reliably estimated simply by knowing the cities in which the person lived.In 2007-2010, we performed a case-control study in northern Chile and identified high odds ratios for lung, bladder, and kidney cancers (6, 9). These results focused on cities in which arsenic concentrations in drinking water were greater than 800 µg/L. They also involved lifetime average and cumulative exposure metrics, in which short pe...

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“…Inorganic arsenic compounds found in potable groundwater are commonly recognized as carcinogens implicated in the development of lung and skin cancer [20], and the World Health Organization recommends that their concentration in drinking water should not exceed 10 mg/L [21]. Studies conducted in Argentina [22], Chile [23], USA [24], and Taiwan [25] have linked contamination with arsenic to the development of bladder cancer at concentrations of > 0.2 mg/L of drinking water [22][23][24][25].…”

Section: Environmental Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%