Health effects inflicted by chronic low ‐level arsenic contamination in groundwater: A global public health challenge

AbstractGroundwater arsenic (As) contamination is a global public health concern. The high level of As exposure (100 ‐1000 μg/L or even higher) through groundwater has been frequently associated with serious public health hazards, e.g., skin disorders, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory problems, complications of gastrointestinal tract, liver and splenic ailments, kidney and bladder disorders, reproductive f ailure, neurotoxicity and cancer. However, reviews on low‐level As exposure and the imperative health effects are far less documented. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has set the permissible standard of As in drinking water at 10 μ g/L. Considering the WHO and USEPA guidelines, most of the developed countries have established standards at or below this guideline. Worldwide many countries including India have millions of aquifers with low‐level As contamination (≤50 μg/L). The exposed population of these areas might not s how any As‐related skin lesions (hallmark of As toxicity particularly in a population consuming As contaminated groundwater>300  μg/L) but might be subclinically affected. This review has attempted to encompass the wide range of health effects associated with chronic low‐level As exposure ≤50 μg/L and the probable mechanisms that might provide a better insight regarding the underlying cause of these clinical manifest ations. Therefore, there is an urgent need to...
Source: Journal of Applied Toxicology - Category: Toxicology Authors: Tags: REVIEW ARTICLE Source Type: research