A new study, led by an environmental health researcher from The
University of Western Australia, has uncovered likely mechanisms for the
link between arsenic in drinking water and increased risk of developing
chronic lung disease.
The study, published in the leading international environmental health journal Environmental Health Perspectives, investigated the impact that low dose exposure to arsenic from drinking water can have on lung development in the womb.
Lead author Kathryn Ramsey said the research team used animal models
to determine that even low levels of arsenic exposure in the womb alone
could cause serious problems in lung development which may increase the
risk of chronic respiratory infections in childhood.
"When we examined mice that had been exposed to the same levels of
arsenic in drinking water as many humans, we were able to see just what
sort of impact this chemical can have on lung development," Ms Ramsey
said.
"What we found was abnormal lung development and structural damage to
an extent that is likely to cause problems later in life. We also found
that arsenic increased the amount of mucous produced by the lungs which
may reduce the ability to clear respiratory pathogens."
"These findings are significant because whilst arsenic is well known
for its cancer-causing properties, its impact on lung health is less
known."
The Telethon Institute research adds to existing studies on the impact of arsenic on lung development.
A previous report from Chile has shown that exposure to high levels
of arsenic via drinking water in early life increases by 40 times the
likelihood of dying of a chronic lung disease as an adult.
"The contamination of drinking water with naturally occurring arsenic
is a significant environmental health problem which affects millions of
people around the world. Arsenic has been found at high concentrations
in ground water around Australia but tap water is very closely monitored
and regulated for arsenic. However, the concern for Australia is the
consumption of untreated bore water in rural and regional areas, which
is a largely unexplored source of exposure," Ms Ramsey said.
"The next step in our research is to try and identify at what
concentration arsenic causes detectable changes in lung growth so we can
better inform public health policies around water quality."
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