Prevalence of arsenic exposure and skin lesions. A population based survey in Matlab, Bangladesh

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To assess prevalence of arsenic exposure through drinking water and skin lesions, and their variation by geographical area, age, sex, and socioeconomic conditions. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Skin lesion cases were identified by screening the entire population above 4 years of age (n = 166,934) living in Matlab, a rural area in Bangladesh, during January 2002 and August 2003. The process of case identification involved initial skin examinations in the field, followed by verification by physicians in a clinic, and final confirmation by two independent experts reviewing photographs. The tubewell water arsenic concentrations (n = 13,286) were analysed by atomic absorption spectrometry. Drinking water history since 1970 was obtained for each person. Exposure information was constructed using drinking water histories and data on water arsenic concentrations. MAIN RESULTS: The arsenic concentrations ranged from <1 to 3644 microg/l, and more than 70% of functioning tubewells exceeded the World Health Organisation guideline of 10 microg/l. Arsenic exposure had increased steadily from 1970s to the late 1990s, afterwards a decrease could be noted. In total, 504 skin lesions cases were identified, and the overall crude prevalence was 3/1000. Women had significantly higher cumulative exposure to arsenic, while men had significantly higher prevalence of skin lesions (SMR 158, 95% CI 133 to 188). The highest prevalence occurred in 35-44 age groups for both sexes. Arsenic exposure and skin lesions had a positive association with socioeconomic groups and achieved educational level. CONCLUSIONS: The result showed sex, age, and socioeconomic differentials in both exposure and skin lesions. Findings clearly showed the urgency of effective arsenic mitigation activities.     

Chronic low-level arsenic exposure reduces lung function in male population without skin lesions

Objectives

The respiratory effects of chronic low-level arsenic exposure from groundwater have been investigated in West Bengal, India.

Methods

The participants (834 non-smoking adult males) were subdivided in two groups: an arsenic-exposed group (n = 446, mean age 35.3 years) drinking arsenic-contaminated groundwater (11–50 μg/L) and a control group of 388 age-matched men drinking water containing <10 μg/L of arsenic. Arsenic in water samples was measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The prevalence of respiratory symptoms was documented by structured, validated questionnaire. Pulmonary function test (PFT) was assessed by portable spirometer.

Results

Compared with control, the arsenic-exposed subjects had higher prevalence of upper and lower respiratory symptoms, dyspnea, asthma, eye irritation and headache. Besides, 20.6 % of arsenic-exposed subjects had lung function deficits (predominantly restrictive and combined types) compared with 13.6 % of control (p < 0.05). A positive association was observed between arsenic concentration in drinking water and the prevalence of respiratory symptoms, while a negative association existed between arsenic level and spirometric parameters.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that even low-level arsenic exposure has deleterious respiratory effects.     

砷冶炼厂工人皮肤损害与尿中砷甲基化产物的关系

目的探讨职业砷接触致皮肤病发生与尿中砷甲基化产物的关系。方法选择偏远山区冶炼厂为研究现场,暴露组为91名工人,对照组58人。监测作业场所工作岗位中砷化合物浓度,进行健康监护体检和尿砷形态分析,计算3种砷化合物百分率及一、二级甲基化指数。结果冶炼厂所有检测岗位砷化合物浓度均超过国家职业卫生标准,91名工人中36人存在明显慢性砷中毒样皮肤损害,尿中3种砷化合物(无机砷、甲基砷酸、二甲基砷酸)浓度(Log10)分别为(2.18±0.40)、(2.26±0.35)和(2.77±0.31)μg/g肌酐,明显示高于接砷但无皮肤损害的工人及对照组工人,差异均有统计学意义,冶炼厂存在皮肤损害的工人尿中甲基砷酸浓度占总砷百分率和二级甲基化指数均明显高于其他工人。结论尿中甲基化产物在冶炼厂工人皮肤损害中具有重要作用,二级甲基化指数与砷致皮肤损害有关。     

A prospective study of arsenic exposure from drinking water and incidence of skin lesions in Bangladesh

Elevated concentrations of arsenic in groundwater pose a public health threat to millions of people worldwide. The authors aimed to evaluate the association between arsenic exposure and skin lesion incidence among participants in the Health Effects of Arsenic Longitudinal Study (HEALS). The analyses used data on 10,182 adults free of skin lesions at baseline through the third biennial follow-up of the cohort (2000-2009). Discrete-time hazard regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for incident skin lesions. Multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios for incident skin lesions comparing 10.1-50.0, 50.1-100.0, 100.1-200.0, and ≥200.1 μg/L with ≤10.0 μg/L of well water arsenic exposure were 1.17 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.92, 1.49), 1.69 (95% CI: 1.33, 2.14), 1.97 (95% CI: 1.58, 2.46), and 2.98 (95% CI: 2.40, 3.71), respectively (P(trend) = 0.0001). Results were similar for the other measures of arsenic exposure, and the increased risks remained unchanged with changes in exposure in recent years. Dose-dependent associations were more pronounced in females, but the incidence of skin lesions was greater in males and older individuals. Chronic arsenic exposure from drinking water was associated with increased incidence of skin lesions, even at low levels of arsenic exposure (<100 μg/L).     

Chronic arsenic exposure and oxidative stress: OGG1 expression and arsenic exposure, nail selenium, and skin hyperkeratosis in Inner Mongolia

Arsenic, a human carcinogen, is known to induce oxidative damage to DNA. In this study we investigated oxidative stress and As exposure by determining gene expression of OGG1, which codes for an enzyme, 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase, involved in removing 8-oxoguanine in As-exposed individuals. Bayingnormen (Ba Men) residents in Inner Mongolia are chronically exposed to As via drinking water. Water, toenail, and blood samples were collected from 299 Ba Men residents exposed to 0.34-826 microg/L As. RNA was isolated from blood, and mRNA levels of OGG1 were determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction. OGG1 expression levels were linked to As concentrations in drinking water and nails, selenium concentrations in nails, and skin hyperkeratosis. OGG1 expression was strongly associated with water As concentrations (p < 0.0001). Addition of the quadratic term significantly improved the fit compared with the linear model (p = 0.05) . The maximal OGG1 response was at the water As concentration of 149 microg/L. OGG1 expression was also significantly associated with toenail As concentrations (p = 0.015) but inversely associated with nail Se concentrations (p = 0.0095) . We found no significant differences in the As-induced OGG1 expression due to sex, smoking, or age even though the oldest group showed the strongest OGG1 response (p = 0.0001) . OGG1 expression showed a dose-dependent increased risk of skin hyperkeratosis in males (trend analysis, p = 0.02) , but the trend was not statistically significant in females. The results from this study provide a linkage between oxidative stress and As exposure in humans. OGG1 expression may be useful as a biomarker for assessing oxidative stress from As exposure.     

A pathway-based analysis of urinary arsenic metabolites and skin lesions

Inorganic arsenic is metabolized to monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA). Limited evidence suggests that the ability to fully metabolize arsenic into DMA influences susceptibility to disease. To determine whether percentage of MMA was predictive of disease, the authors used data from a case-control study conducted in Bangladesh (2001-2003). Persons who were diagnosed with keratosis, melanosis, Bowen's disease, or squamous cell carcinoma were matched on age, sex, and village to persons without these conditions. This analysis was restricted to persons who had no missing data on covariates (859 cases, 868 controls). A path analysis was used to evaluate simultaneously the association between the percentage of all urinary arsenic metabolites and the odds of skin lesions using PROC CALIS in SAS, version 9.1 (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, North Carolina) and Mplus, version 6.1 (Muthén & Muthén, Los Angeles, California). The odds of skin lesions were significantly associated with log(10) percentage of MMA (adjusted odds ratio (OR(adj)) = 1.56, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.15, 2.12) but not log(10) percentage of inorganic arsenic (OR(adj) = 1.06, 95% CI: 0.75, 1.50) or log(10) percentage of DMA (OR(adj) = 1.07, 95% CI: 0.33, 3.46). This novel analysis confirmed that persons who excrete a higher proportion of MMA have a greater risk of skin lesions after data are adequately controlled for urinary arsenic metabolites, current arsenic exposure, and other risk factors.     

An ecologic study of skin cancer and environmental arsenic exposure

Summary We conducted an epidemiologic study of skin cancer incidence rates for four counties in Montana. The two counties considered to be exposed to arensic were Deer Lodge, containing the former Anaconda copper smelter, and Silver Bow, containing an open pit copper mine. Residents in these counties had potential exposure to arsenic and other heavy metals. Gallatin and Park counties served as controls. All histologically proven skin cancer cases during the period January 1980 through June 1986 were collected from pathology services and dermatologists in these four counties. In addition, all skin cancer cases from four dermatologists practicing in urban referral areas outside the counties were reviewed. Results were analzyed by individual as well as by two different definitions of anatomically distinct lesions: the National Cancer Institute (NCI) definition and the study definition. There were 1616 individuals with skin cancer in the four counties during the period under consideration, yielding 2252 (NCI definition) and 2451 (study definition) cases. The clinical features of the skin cancers in the exposed counties were not similar to those described for arsenicrelated skin cancer. The age-adjusted annual skin cancer rates were higher for the two control counties as compared to either the county with the former smelter, Deer Lodge, or the county with the mine, Silver Bow. Our results cannot be explained by differences in ascertainment, latitude, or altitude. They can be partially explained by differences in both outdoor employment and medical practice. The overall skin cancer incidence rates for the exposed counties were well within the range of skin cancer rates observed for other locations in the United States.     

A prospective study of the synergistic effects of arsenic exposure and smoking, sun exposure, fertilizer use, and pesticide use on risk of premalignant skin lesions in Bangladeshi men

Skin lesions are classic clinical signs of toxicity due to long-term exposure to arsenic, and they are considered precursors to arsenic-related skin cancer. The authors prospectively evaluated synergisms between effects of arsenic exposure and those of tobacco use, sun exposure, and pesticide and fertilizer use on incident skin lesions using risk factor data from 5,042 men from the Health Effects of Arsenic Longitudinal Study in Araihazar, Bangladesh, which recruited participants from October 2000 to May 2002. Discrete time hazard models were used to estimate measures of synergistic interactions on the additive scale. The authors observed significant synergistic effects between various measures of arsenic exposure and smoking and fertilizer use. The relative excess risks for the interactions between smoking status and arsenic exposure were 0.12 (95% confidence interval: 0.06, 0.19) for water arsenic and 0.11 (95% confidence interval: 0.05, 0.15) for urinary arsenic measures, respectively. Significant synergistic effects were also observed between fertilizer use and water arsenic (relative excess risk for the interaction = 0.06, 95% confidence interval: 0.01, 0.12). This is the first prospective study based on individual-level data that supports a role for smoking and certain occupational risk factors in modification of the effect of long-term arsenic exposure on skin lesions. Understanding differential arsenic susceptibility allows researchers to develop interventions to prevent the health consequences of this massive problem in the Bangladeshi population and beyond.     

Comparison of health effects between individuals with and without skin lesions in the population exposed to arsenic through drinking water in West Bengal, India

A study was conducted to explore the effect of arsenic causing conjunctivitis, neuropathy and respiratory illness in individuals, with or without skin lesions, as a result of exposure through drinking water, contaminated with arsenic to similar extent. Exposed study population belongs to the districts of North 24 Parganas and Nadia, West Bengal, India. A total of 725 exposed (373 with skin lesions and 352 without skin lesions) and 389 unexposed individuals were recruited as study participants. Participants were clinically examined and interviewed. Arsenic content in drinking water, urine, nail and hair was estimated. Individuals with skin lesion showed significant retention of arsenic in nail and hair and lower amount of urinary arsenic compared to the group without any skin lesion. Individuals with skin lesion also showed higher risk for conjunctivitis ((odd's ratio) OR: 7.33, 95% CI: 5.05-10.59), peripheral neuropathy (OR: 3.95, 95% CI: 2.61-5.93) and respiratory illness (OR: 4.86, 95% CI: 3.16-7.48) compared to the group without any skin lesion. The trend test for OR of the three diseases in three groups was found to be statistically significant. Again, individuals without skin lesion in the exposed group showed higher risk for conjunctivitis (OR: 4.66, 95% CI: 2.45-8.85), neuropathy (OR: 3.99, 95% CI: 1.95-8.09), and respiratory illness (OR: 3.21, 95% CI: 1.65-6.26) when compared to arsenic unexposed individuals. Although individuals with skin lesions were more susceptible to arsenic-induced toxicity, individuals without skin lesions were also subclinically affected and are also susceptible to arsenic-induced toxicity and carcinogenicity when compared to individuals not exposed to arsenic.     

Association between nutritional status and arsenicosis due to chronic arsenic exposure in Bangladesh

The role of nutritional factors in arsenic metabolism and toxicity is not clear. Provision of certain low protein diets resulted in decreased excretion of DMA and increased tissue retention of arsenic in experimental studies. This paper reports a prevalence comparison study conducted in Bangladesh to assess the nutritional status among the chronic arsenic exposed and unexposed population. 138 exposed individuals diagnosed as arsenicosis patients were selected from three known arsenic endemic villages of Bangladesh and age, sex matched 144 unexposed subjects were randomly selected from three arsenic free villages. The mean arsenic concentration in drinking water for the exposed and unexposed population was 641.15 and 13.5 microg L(-1) respectively. Body Mass Index was found to be lower than 18.5, the cut off point for malnutrition, in 57 (41.31%) out of 138 exposed arsenicosis cases and 31 (21.53%) out of 144 unexposed individuals. The crude prevalence ratio (or risk) was 1.92 (95% CI = 1.33-2.78) for poor nutritional status among the arsenicosis cases compared to the unexposed population. The findings of this study add to the evidence that poor nutritional status may increase an individual's susceptibility to chronic arsenic toxicity, or alternatively that arsenicosis may contribute to poor nutritional status.     

Association between arsenic exposure from a coal-burning power plant and urinary arsenic concentrations in Prievidza District,Slovakia

To assess the arsenic exposure of a population living in the vicinity of a coal-burning power plant with high arsenic emission in the Prievidza District, Slovakia, 548 spot urine samples were speciated for inorganic As (Asinorg), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), and their sum (Assum). The urine samples were collected from the population of a case-control study on nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC). A total of 411 samples with complete As speciations and sufficient urine quality and without fish consumption were used for statistical analysis. Although current environmental As exposure and urinary As concentrations were low (median As in soil within 5 km distance to the power plant, 41 micro g/g; median urinary Assum, 5.8 microg/L), there was a significant but weak association between As in soil and urinary Assum(r = 0.21, p < 0.01). We performed a multivariate regression analysis to calculate adjusted regression coefficients for environmental As exposure and other determinants of urinary As. Persons living in the vicinity of the plant had 27% higher Assum values (p < 0.01), based on elevated concentrations of the methylated species. A 32% increase of MMA occurred among subjects who consumed homegrown food (p < 0.001). NMSC cases had significantly higher levels of Assum, DMA, and Asinorg. The methylation index Asinorg/(MMA + DMA) was about 20% lower among cases (p < 0.05) and in men (p < 0.05) compared with controls and females, respectively.     

Bronchiectasis in persons with skin lesions resulting from arsenic in drinking water

BACKGROUND: Arsenic is a unique human carcinogen in that it causes lung cancer by exposure through ingestion (in drinking water) as well as through inhalation. Less is known about nonmalignant pulmonary disease after exposure to arsenic in drinking water. METHODS: We recruited 108 subjects with arsenic-caused skin lesions and 150 subjects without lesions from a population survey of over 7000 people in an arsenic-exposed region in West Bengal, India. Thirty-eight study participants who reported at least 2 years of chronic cough underwent high-resolution computed tomography (CT); these scans were read by investigators in India and the United States without knowledge of the presence or absence of skin lesions. RESULTS: The mean (+/-standard deviation) bronchiectasis severity score was 3.4 (+/-3.6) in the 27 participants with skin lesions and 0.9 (+/-1.6) in the 11 participants without these lesions. In subjects who reported chronic cough, CT evidence of bronchiectasis was found in 18 (67%) participants with skin lesions and 3 (27%) subjects without skin lesions. Overall, subjects with arsenic-caused skin lesions had a 10-fold increased prevalence of bronchiectasis compared with subjects who did not have skin lesions (adjusted odds ratio=10; 95% confidence interval=2.7-37). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that, in addition to being a cause of lung cancer, ingestion of high concentrations of arsenic in drinking water may be a cause of bronchiectasis.     

砷暴露母子砷代谢特点及DNA损伤差异

目的通过尿中各种形态砷水平，探讨高砷暴露下儿童砷代谢特点；测定尿中8-羟基脱氧鸟苷（8-O-HdG）水平。初步探讨砷暴露对儿童DNA的损伤情况；并比较砷暴露对儿童与成人的不同影响。方法以氢化物发生．冷原子捕获．原子吸收分光光度法测定尿中各种砷化物的含量；以试剂盒法测定尿8-OHdG水平。结果砷暴露组妇女和儿童尿中无机砷（iAs）、二甲基砷（MMA）、甲基砷（DMA）及总砷（tAs）水平均显著高于对照组；砷暴露母子间，子女尿中iAs、DMA、tAs及DMA／tAs水平显著高于其母亲，而MMA／（MMA＋DMA）显著低于其母亲。母子间8-O-HdG水平差异无统计学意义。结论高砷暴露下，儿童二甲基化能力高于成人，DNA氧化损伤与成人相比不明显。     

Relations between age at occupational exposure to ionising radiation and cancer risk.

OBJECTIVES: To discover how the age when a given dose of ionising radiation is received (exposure age) affects the subsequent cancer risk, and whether the types of cancer caused by repeated exposure to small doses during adult life differ from naturally occurring cancers at that age. METHOD: A nested case-control design with all possible controls in a cohort of nuclear workers, and a Mantel-Haenszel test (requiring only one degree of freedom) to discover whether there was any level of exposure age where the null hypothesis of no effects of radiation was rejected. This analysis was followed by inspection of how different types of cancers were related to the cancer risk. RESULTS: For radiation received at least 15 years before a cancer death (to allow for cancer latency) evidence of a dose related risk was found which was largely the result of exposures during the last 10 years of working life (between 55 and 65 years of age). The relative frequency of site specific cancers showed no signs of being different for radiogenic and idiopathic cancers, and there was no evidence of the exceptionally strong association between radiation and leukaemia found in atomic bomb data and other high dose situations. CONCLUSIONS: Sensitivity to carcinogenic effects of radiation increases progressively with age during adult life and, provided the dose is too small to produce many cell deaths, the ratio of leukaemias to solid tumours is no different for radiogenic and idiopathic cancers.     

Incidence of lung, eye, and skin lesions as late complications in 34,000 Iranians with wartime exposure to mustard agent

Approximately 34,000 Iranians known to have sustained mustard agent exposure during the Iran-Iraq war of 1980-1988 and survived over a decade afterwards were screened for distribution of the most commonly occurring medical problems. In order of greatest incidence, these include lesions of the lungs (42.5%), eyes (39.3%), and skin (24.5%). Within each subpopulation, patients were ranked according to severity of lesions. Twenty-three percent to 37% of patients exhibited at least mild coverage, with 1.5% to 4.5% classed as moderate, and a much smaller population (0.023-1.0%) of the 34,000 patients exhibiting extensive (severe) lesional coverage. These results provide a comprehensive overview of the medical problem most common among mustard victims and could serve as a predictor of the likely impact of these weapons on health status of populations exposed to them during ongoing military conflicts.     

Multiple exposure to arsenic,antimony, and other elements in art glass manufacturing

Art glass manufacturing is one of the most interesting examples of exposure to complex mixtures. Among the raw materials used are silica sand, borax, carbonates, nitrates of Ca, Na, K, and a great number of compounds that are mainly oxides of As, Sb, Al, Zn, Cr, Ni, Sn, Se, Cd, Mn, Cu, Co, Fe, Nd, Er, Eu, and La. In six art glass factories that use As or Sb as fining agents, the exposure to these elements was investigated in 32 workers by means of environmental and biological monitoring. Analysis was conducted by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results confirmed that As, which is the main carcinogen in glass production, reaches high air concentrations and is generally above the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) threshold limit value–time-weighted average (TLV-TWA) of 10 μg/m³. When partly substituted by antimonial compounds, As air concentrations dropped dramatically, while the air levels of Sb (which is considered less toxic but is classified as a class 2B carcinogen by IARC) were relatively low and below the ACGIH TLV-TWA of 500 μg/m³. Exposure to As and Sb also differed in the three types of jobs investigated: As was high in oven chargers, Sb was higher in batch mixers, and both elements were low in makers-formers. Eleven to 18 elements were detected: arsenic, Al, Ba, Sb, Pb, and Zn were the elements most frequently measured (in tens, and in some cases hundreds, of μg/m³), followed by B, Li, Mn, Se, Sn, Sr, Ce, La, and Nd (in μg or in some cases tens of μg/m³). The results of biological monitoring for As, Sb, and other elements were in agreement with environmental monitoring data. We concluded that multiple detection of elements is a useful tool for the evaluation of exposure to complex mixtures such as those used in the art glass industry and that such detection also allows a more accurate evaluation of related epidemiological data. Am J. Ind. Med. 33:65–72, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Longitudinal investigation of exposure to arsenic, cadmium, and lead in drinking water

Arsenic, cadmium, and lead have been associated with various forms of cancer, nephrotoxicity, central nervous system effects, and cardiovascular disease in humans. Drinking water is a well-recognized pathway of exposure to these metals. To improve understanding of the temporal dimension of exposure to As, Cd, and Pb in drinking water, we obtained 381 samples of tap and/or tap/filtered water and self-reported rates of drinking water consumption from 73 members of a stratified random sample in Maryland. Data were collected at approximately 2-month intervals from September 1995 through September 1996. Concentrations of As (range < 0.2-13.8 microg/L) and Pb (< 0.1-13.4 microg/L) were within the ranges reported for the United States, as were the rates of drinking water consumption (median < 0.1-4.1 L/day). Cd was present at a detectable level in only 8.1% of the water samples. Mean log-transformed concentrations and exposures for As and Pb varied significantly among sampling cycles and among respondents, as did rates of drinking water consumption, according to a generalized linear model that accounted for potential correlation among repeated measures from the same respondent. We used the intraclass correlation coefficient of reliability to attribute the total variance observed for each exposure metric to between-person and within-person variability. Between-person variability was estimated to account for 67, 81, and 55% of the total variance in drinking water consumption, As exposure (micrograms per day), and Pb exposure (micrograms per day), respectively. We discuss these results with respect to their implications for future exposure assessment research, quantitative risk assessment, and environmental epidemiology.     

Association between chronic exposure to arsenic and slow nerve conduction velocity among adolescents in Taiwan

The association between chronic exposure to arsenic and peripheral neuropathy has been controversial in previous studies, which may be due to the influence of factors, such as age, gender, chronic diseases, occupational injuries, and arsenic exposure. To clarify the question of this association, a cross-sectional study was designed. In total, 130 junior high school students aged 12-14 years were included and examined for the motor and sensory nerve conduction velocity of peripheral nerves in their right-upper and lower limbs. Concentrations of arsenic in well-water and history of drinking well-water were retrieved from a baseline database created in 1991. After adjustment for gender and height, a significant odds ratio of 2.9 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1-7.5) was observed for the development of slow nerve conduction velocity of the sural sensory action potential (SAP) among the study subjects with a cumulative arsenic dosage of>100.0 mg. In addition, a borderline statistical significance with odds ratio of 7.8 (95% CI 1.001-69.5) for the development of slow nerve conduction velocity of sural SAP was also observed among the study subjects who drank well-water containing arsenic concentrations of >50.0 microg/L and with a cumulative arsenic dosage of >100.0 mg. The study found that chronic exposure to arsenic might induce peripheral neuropathy. It also found that the slowing of the nerve conduction velocity of sural SAP might be an early marker of chronic arsenic neuropathy.     

低浓度砷暴露者皮肤损害及DNA氧化损伤

目的 探讨女性慢性低浓度砷(As)暴露者皮肤损害情况及与DNA氧化损伤的关系。方法 选择山西大同某村长期饮水型低As暴露女性54人(病例组)和经济水平相近的邻村女性18人(对照组)作为研究对象,测定当地水As及研究对象体内尿As水平;并测定尿中8-羟基脱氧鸟苷(8-OHdG)水平。结果 低As暴露组人群体内尿As平均水平为(13.99±4.65)μg/gCr,尿8-OhdG平均水平为(8.61±4.51)ng/mgCr,均高于对照组(P<0.05);尿中8-OHdG与尿As水平呈正相关(r=0.893,P<0.05);尿中8-OHdG水平与水As暴露程度呈正相关(r=0.847,P<0.05);尿8-OHdG水平较高者发生皮肤损害的危险性是较低者的2.838倍(OR=2.838,P<0.05)。结论 低浓度砷As暴露可致机体产生DNA氧化损伤;尿8-OHdG可作为一个稳定的As致氧化损伤生物标志物。