Blood arsenic: Pan-India prevalence

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Toxicology
• Public Health

Background:

• Arsenic is a toxic element causing significant health concerns, particularly due to groundwater contamination leading to arsenicosis.
• Chronic arsenic toxicity presents varied clinical effects, making timely diagnosis and management challenging.
• Arsenic exposure is a growing public health issue in India.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the frequency of high blood arsenic levels in a large, diverse Indian population.
• To analyze blood arsenic levels across different demographics (age, sex) and geographical regions in India.
• To raise awareness about arsenic toxicity and its prevalence in the Indian context.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of blood arsenic levels in a pan-India cohort of 205,530 participants.
• Inclusion of all age groups, from infants to the elderly, with a breakdown of 111,737 males and 93,793 females.
• Utilized Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) for precise elemental analysis.

Main Results:

• A total of 1.37% of the cohort exhibited high blood arsenic levels (≥5 μg/L).
• The frequency of high arsenic levels was slightly higher in males (1.47%) compared to females (1.25%).
• The highest prevalence of elevated blood arsenic was observed in Kerala and Mumbai.

Conclusions:

• This study provides crucial data on the prevalence of high blood arsenic levels in India.
• Findings underscore the need for increased awareness and targeted interventions for arsenicosis.
• The research serves as a pilot to address the significant public health challenge of arsenic exposure in India.