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Review
. 2016 Jul;124(7):890-9.
doi: 10.1289/ehp.1510209. Epub 2015 Nov 20.

Arsenic and Environmental Health: State of the Science and Future Research Opportunities

Danielle J Carlin  1 , Marisa F Naujokas, Karen D Bradham, John Cowden, Michelle Heacock, Heather F Henry, Janice S Lee, David J Thomas, Claudia Thompson, Erik J Tokar, Michael P Waalkes, Linda S Birnbaum, William A Suk
Affiliations
Review

Arsenic and Environmental Health: State of the Science and Future Research Opportunities

Danielle J Carlin et al. Environ Health Perspect. 2016 Jul.

Abstract

Background: Exposure to inorganic and organic arsenic compounds is a major public health problem that affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Exposure to arsenic is associated with cancer and noncancer effects in nearly every organ in the body, and evidence is mounting for health effects at lower levels of arsenic exposure than previously thought. Building from a tremendous knowledge base with > 1,000 scientific papers published annually with "arsenic" in the title, the question becomes, what questions would best drive future research directions?

Objectives: The objective is to discuss emerging issues in arsenic research and identify data gaps across disciplines.

Methods: The National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Superfund Research Program convened a workshop to identify emerging issues and research needs to address the multi-faceted challenges related to arsenic and environmental health. This review summarizes information captured during the workshop.

Discussion: More information about aggregate exposure to arsenic is needed, including the amount and forms of arsenic found in foods. New strategies for mitigating arsenic exposures and related health effects range from engineered filtering systems to phytogenetics and nutritional interventions. Furthermore, integration of omics data with mechanistic and epidemiological data is a key step toward the goal of linking biomarkers of exposure and susceptibility to disease mechanisms and outcomes.

Conclusions: Promising research strategies and technologies for arsenic exposure and adverse health effect mitigation are being pursued, and future research is moving toward deeper collaborations and integration of information across disciplines to address data gaps.

Citation: Carlin DJ, Naujokas MF, Bradham KD, Cowden J, Heacock M, Henry HF, Lee JS, Thomas DJ, Thompson C, Tokar EJ, Waalkes MP, Birnbaum LS, Suk WA. 2016. Arsenic and environmental health: state of the science and future research opportunities. Environ Health Perspect 124:890-899; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1510209.

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Conflict of interest statement

The views, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors. This article was reviewed in accordance with the policy of the National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S. EPA, and approved for publication. Approval does not signify that the contents necessarily reflect the views and policies of the agency. Mention of trade names, products, or services does not convey official U.S. EPA approval, endorsement, or recommendation.

M.F.N. is employed by MDB, Inc., Durham, NC. The authors declare they have no actual or potential competing financial interests.

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