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Study of the relation between chronic exposure to natural arsenic in drinking water and some cancers in Auvergne |
Environnement, Risques & Santé. Volume 11, Number 4, 294-7, Juillet-Août 2012, Article original
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 Résumé
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Author(s) : Damien Mouly, Jean François Jusot, Bénédicte Bérat, Sarah Goria, Morgane Stempfelet, Pascal Beaudeau |
Summary : The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified inorganic arsenic as carcinogenic for humans (group 1). The geologic features of Auvergne result in the presence of natural arsenic in its water. In 2001, more than 140,000 people were served by water networks in which arsenic concentrations exceeded 10 μg/L (maximum contaminant level in effect since 2003). The objective of this study was to look for a link between chronic exposure to low-level doses of arsenic in drinking water and the occurrence of some cancers. This ecological study was conducted among the population living in three districts of Auvergne. The exposure and health indicators were collected at the municipality level. The cancer sites selected for study were the skin (melanoma), kidneys, bladder and urinary tract, and lungs. A relation between cancer and exposure to arsenic in drinking water was sought by a spatial analysis applying a Poisson regression model. The results showed a significant relation between the incidence of lung cancer in men and the presence of arsenic in water intended for human consumption. No association was observed among women for any of the cancers studied, and no other associations were observed among men. |
Keywords : arsenic, cancer, drinking water |
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