March 4, 2001

Low Dose Arsenic Exposures Related to Skin Cancer

As(V) as arsenate (AsH04-2)

Arsenic, a ubiquitous metalloid, is a known human carcinogen specifically linked to the occurrence of skin cancer at high levels of exposure. Most of the epidemiologic data regarding the relationship between drinking water arsenic and skin cancer come from research conducted in southwest Taiwan where well water concentrations of arsenic are as high as 1,220 parts per billion (ppb). These studies indicate an etiologic link between water arsenic and skin cancer. Risk assessments based on these and other data suggest that there may be effects below the current Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 50 ppb.

[Abstract] Low Dose Arsenic Exposures Related to Skin Cancer

Contact: Margaret Karagas

March 1, 2001

Arsenic: A New Type of Endocrine Disruptor?

A team of Dartmouth Medical School investigators has uncovered what may be a unique mechanism for the way chronic exposure to low levels of arsenic increases the risk of certain diseases. The work is described in the March issue of the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
Arsenic at high doses has been known as the poison of choice since ancient times. Recently, it has become clear that decades of exposure to very low doses of arsenic such as levels found in drinking water in many areas of the United States may sub- stantially increase the risk of vascular disease, diabetes and several types of cancer. Until now, little was known about how arsenic might contribute to these diseases, however. MORE>>

[Abstract] Arsenic alters the function of the glucocorticoid receptor as a transcription factor.

Contact: Joshua Hamilton