Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
6-7-2018
Journal
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume
15
Issue
6
DOI
10.3390/ijerph15061200
Abstract
While epidemiologic studies clearly demonstrate drinking water with high levels of arsenic as a significant risk factor for lung cancer, the evidence at low levels (≤50 μg/L) is uncertain. Therefore, we have conducted an ecological analysis of recent lung cancer incidence for US counties with a groundwater supply of <50 μg/L, the historical limit for both the EPA and WHO. Data sources used included USGS for arsenic exposure, NCI for lung cancer outcome, and CDC and US Census Bureau forcovariates. Poisson log-linear models were conducted for male, female, and total populations using for exposure median county arsenic level, maximum arsenic level ≤50 μg/L, and ≥80% population groundwater dependency. Statistically significant negative associations were found in each of the six models in which the exposure was limited to those who had major exposure (≥80% dependency) to low-levels of arsenic (≤50 μg/L). This is the first large ecological study of lung cancer risk from drinking water arsenic levels that specifically examined the dose-response slope for populations whose exposure was below the historical limit of ≤50 μg/L. The models for each of the three populations (total; male; female) demonstrated an association that is both negative and statistically significant.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
APA Citation
Lamm, S., Boroje, I., Ferdosi, H., & Ahn, J. (2018). Lung Cancer Risk and Low (≤50 μg/L) Drinking Water Arsenic Levels for US Counties (2009⁻2013)-A Negative Association.. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15 (6). http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15061200
Peer Reviewed
1
Open Access
1
Comments
Reproduced with permission of MDPI AG. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health