This ten year study, one of the first of its kind regarding long term, low level exposure to known carcinogens ingested via drinking water, lends validity to the theory that even low levels of toxins in our systems present serious long term consequences.
1 in 5 deaths in Bangladesh linked to arsenic in drinking water
London: Exposure to arsenic in drinking water - even at low levels - increases the risk of death from any cause, suggests a new study conducted on Bangladeshis.
Arsenic is known to be a potent carcinogen and toxic to organs such as the liver, skin, kidney and the cardiovascular system.
In a new study of 12,000 Bangladeshis, more than 20% of deaths were attributable to arsenic exposure from contaminated drinking water.
The large 10-year study is the first to prospectively measure the relationship between individual exposure to arsenic and its associated mortality risk, the authors said.
The Health Effects of Arsenic Longitudinal Study (HEALS) was led by Habibul Ahsan, MD, MMedSc, Director of the Center for Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
For the 25% of people exposed to the highest levels of arsenic, mortality risk increased by nearly 70%, the study determined.
|
Posts
