Re: Arsenic ingestion from well water associated with increased risk of lung cancer

["Otto G. Raabe" <ograabe@UCDAVIS.EDU>]

December 22, 2004



The following are three separate excerpts from the World Health 

Organization web site:



The strongest epidemiological evidence on skin cancer effects comes from 

studies of arsenic contamination of drinking water in China (Province of 

Taiwan). Villages in south-western China (Province of Taiwan) switched from 

surface water to arsenic contaminated well water for drinking in the 1920s. 

An early study by Tseng et al. (1968) found evidence of a dose response 

relationship between concentration of arsenic in drinking water and 

prevalence of skin cancer. IPCS (1981) estimated skin cancer risk from 

life-time exposure to arsenic in drinking water at 5% for 0.2 mg of arsenic 

per litre, based on the findings of Tseng et al. (1977).



Hopenhayn-Rich et al. (1998) examined SMRs for bladder, kidney, lung, liver 

and stomach cancers for 1986-1991 for 26 counties in the Cordoba Province 

in Argentina. The authors stratified counties into low, intermediate and 

high exposure groups based on arsenic levels in their drinking water. The 

low and intermediate exposure counties were defined by the authors. Data 

for arsenic levels in the two high exposure counties were given. These 

levels ranged from 0.04 mg/l to 0.43 mg/l. SMRs were calculated using age 

and sex specific national rates for Argentina. Significant 

exposure-response relationships were found for the cancer in the bladder, 

lung and kidney.



To conclude, the results from studies of cancer indicate strong evidence 

that exposure to arsenic is related to skin, lung and bladder cancer, 

although more established assessment on health effect of arsenic is being 

prepared by IPCS/EHC. It is likely that arsenic causes a number of other 

cancers, but thus far epidemiological evidence has not been consistent for 

other sites in the body.



**********************************************

Prof. Otto G. Raabe, Ph.D., CHP

Center for Health & the Environment

(Street Address: Bldg. 3792, Old Davis Road)

University of California, Davis, CA 95616

E-Mail: ograabe@ucdavis.edu

Phone: (530) 752-7754   FAX: (530) 758-6140

*********************************************** 



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