As a collective goal, we hope to identify
sensitive biomarkers for arsenic - molecular changes that act
as warning flags indicating that cells have been exposed, affected
or are particularly susceptible to damage by arsenic or other
harmful metals. Developing biomarkers will contribute to a better
understanding of the way arsenic affects living systems and
will be useful in monitoring exposure in people and the environment.
top
Why arsenic?
Exposure to arsenic in drinking water represents
a significant health problem for people around the world. In
1997, the World Health Organization recommended that arsenic
in drinking water be recognized as a major public health issue
that should be addressed on an emergency basis. The United States
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed lowering
the maximum acceptable level of arsenic in drinking water, which
is now 50 parts per billion.
Arsenic is ranked first by the U. S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention on a list of 50 chemicals of most concern for
human health. Arsenic also tops the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency's list of chemicals of concern at toxic waste sites.
In humans, exposure to arsenic has been linked to increased
risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and reproductive disorders.
However, most studies linking arsenic with human disease have
involved people exposed to very high levels - in the workplace,
for example, or in parts of Taiwan, Pakistan and other areas
of the world where levels of arsenic in drinking water are unusually
elevated. In Bangladesh, India, an estimated 70 million people
have been slowly poisoned by well water tainted by arsenic from
natural sources deep within the ground.
Scientists have very little direct information about the effects
of arsenic exposures at levels found commonly in the United
States. In addition, the way arsenic interacts with other substances
in biological systems - such as the cells in human bodies -
is poorly understood. These questions are important in guiding
public policy on setting acceptable levels of exposure to arsenic
from public sources, such as tap water.
Arsenic in New Hampshire
Soils and waters in New Hampshire have been found to contain
levels of arsenic that are substantially higher than those found
in other regions of the United States. We have focused our geological,
environmental and human health studies principally on New Hampshire.
Other states in which there are areas unusually high in arsenic
include Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, California, New Mexico,
Arizona, Colorado and Nevada.
top
