Arsenic Exposure in Infancy: Estimating the Contributions of Well Water and Human Milk

Charles W. Schmidt, MS, an award-winning science writer from Portland, ME, has written for Discover Magazine, Science, and Nature Medicine. About This Article open Citation: Schmidt CW. 2015. Arsenic exposure in infancy: estimating the contributions of well water and human milk. Environ Health Perspect 123:A137; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.123-A137 News Topics: Arsenic, Children’s Health, Diet and Nutrition, Drinking Water Quality, Food Safety and Regulation Published: 1 May 2015 PDF Version (306 KB) Related EHP Article Estimated Exposure to Arsenic in Breastfed and Formula-Fed Infants in a United States Cohort Courtney C. Carignan, Kathryn L. Cottingham, Brian P. Jackson, Shohreh F. Farzan, A. Jay Gandolfi, Tracy Punshon, Carol L. Folt, and Margaret R. Karagas Studies of mothers with high levels of arsenic exposure indicate the toxic element does not pass easily into human milk.1,2,3 In this issue of EHP, researchers test the hypothesis that breastfed infants have lower exposures than infants fed powdered formula mixed with private well water.4 Early life is a time of heightened vulnerability to arsenic, a naturally occurring element in bedrock and a widespread contaminant of groundwater linked to cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other adverse health effects.5,6 Municipal water in the United States is subject to a federal standard of 10 ppb for arsenic. But arsenic in private wells is unregulated, and homeowners are not required to test for it....
Source: EHP Research - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Featured News Science Selection Arsenic Children's Health Diet and Nutrition Drinking Water Quality Food Safety and Regulation May 2015 Source Type: research