Exposure, Metabolism and Health effects of Arsenic in Residents of Arsenic-Contaminated Groundwater Areas of Vietnam and Cambodia: A Review

Abstract

In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on exposure, metabolism, and health effects of arsenic (As) in residents from As-contaminated groundwater areas of Vietnam and Cambodia based on our findings from 2000 and other studies. The health effects of As in humans include severe gastrointestinal disorders, hepatic and renal failure, cardiovascular disturbances, skin pigmentation, hyperkeratosis, and cancers in the lung, bladder, liver, kidney, and skin. Arsenic contamination in groundwater is widely present at Vietnam and Cambodia and the highest As levels are frequently found in groundwater from Cambodia. Sand filter system can reduce As concentration in raw groundwater. The results of hair and urine analyses indicate that residents from these As-contaminated areas are exposed to As. In general, sex, age, body mass index, and As exposure level are significantly associated with As metabolism. Genetic polymorphisms in arsenic (+ΙΠ) methyltransferase and glutathione-S-transferase isoforms may be influenced As metabolism and accumulation in a Vietnamese population. It is suggested oxidative DNA damage is caused by exposure to As in groundwater from residents in Cambodia. An epidemiologic study on an association of As exposure with human health effects is required in these areas.

Arsenic biomethylation by photosynthetic organisms

“…It is estimated that 35 million–77 million people have been chronically exposed to As through drinking water in Bangladesh alone [5]. Human exposure to As can lead to an array of diseases [6,7], such as bladder, skin and lung cancers [8,9], diabetes [10], cardiovascular disease [11], developmental disorders [12,13], neurological disorders [14,15], metabolic disorders [16] and dermal disease [17]. A recent large-scale epidemiological study in Bangladesh showed that exposure to As from drinking water contributed 21% and 24% to all-cause and chronic-disease mortalities, respectively [5]; although As ingestion from food was not included in this study.…”

Platelet hyperactivity, neurobehavioral symptoms and depression among Indian women chronically exposed to low level of arsenic

“…In addition, As-exposed persons suffer more from reduced lung function, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (Smith et al, 2006;Chattopadhyay and Ghosh, 2010;Amster et al, 2011;Nafees et al, 2011), impairment of liver function (GuhaMazumder, 2005) anemia (Guha Mazumder and Dasgupta, 2011), hypertension and cardiovascular diseases (Guha Mazumder and Dasgupta, 2011). Moreover, As-exposed subjects have increased risk of developing cancers of the skin, lung, colon and the urinary bladder (Agusa et al, 2010;Aballay et al, 2012). Considering the toxic effects of As on human health, the World Health Organization (WHO) has advocated that the As level in groundwater should not exceed 10 mg/L.…”

Sodium arsenite represses the expression of myogenin in C2C12 mouse myoblast cells through histone modifications and altered expression of Ezh2, Glp, and Igf-1

“…In humans and rodents, arsenic can traverse the placenta and this exposure results in adverse developmental effects, such as increased neonatal death and stillbirths (Agusa et al, 2010; Concha et al, 1998; Markowski et al, 2011; Raqib et al, 2009; von Ehrenstein et al, 2006). In fish, arsenite-exposed zebrafish embryos have reduced survival and delayed hatching, malformations in the spinal cord and heart, and disordered motor axon projections (Li et al, 2009).…”