title: Exposure to arsenic in urban and rural areas and effects on thyroid hormones.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Arsenic is a ubiquitous element present in urban air as a pollutant, and it may interfere with thyroid hormones.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the association between the personal exposure to arsenic and levels of TSH, fT4, fT3, and Tg in urban and rural workers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Total urinary arsenic and thyroid markers were obtained from 108 non-smoking traffic policemen and 77 subjects working as roadmen in a rural area. Fifty subjects were monitored to evaluate airborne exposure to arsenic.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean value of exposure to arsenic was 2.9 µg/m(3) in traffic policemen, while the mean value was less than 0.1 µg/m(3) in roadmen. The mean values of urinary arsenic (10.4 μg/g creatinine vs. 5.2 μg/g creatinine; p = 0.000), TSH (1.6 µlU/ml vs. 1.3 µlU/ml; p = 0.006), fT3 (3.5 pg/ml vs. 3.7 pg/ml; p = 0.000), fT4 (1.2 ng/dl vs. 1.3 ng/dl; p = 0.000) and Tg (42.8 ng/ml vs. 36.1 ng/ml; p = 0.04) were significantly different between traffic policemen and roadmen. In traffic policemen, urinary arsenic and arsenic in the air were correlated to the airborne arsenic and TSH values, respectively. Urinary arsenic was correlated to TSH, Tg, fT3, and fT4 values. The multiple linear regression models showed the following associations: i) among urinary arsenic, arsenic in the air and job title; ii) among TSH, fT3, Tg and urinary arsenic; and iii) between fT4 and both urinary arsenic and alcohol intake.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results provide information about the relationship between exposure to arsenic and thyroid markers and may be useful for other categories of outdoor workers who are similarly exposed.
authors.affiliation: University of Rome Sapienza, Department of Anatomy, Histology, Medical-Legal and the Orthopedics, Unit of Occupational Medicine, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ciarrocca
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tomei
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Caciari
authors.forename: Carlotta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cetica
authors.forename: Jean Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Andrè
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fiaschetti
authors.forename: Maria Pia
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Schifano
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Scala
authors.forename: Lara
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Scimitto
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tomei
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sancini
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis*; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000032:analysis*; D002947:Cities; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D016495:Police; D012424:Rural Population; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000097:blood; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000378:metabolism*; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D002273:Carcinogens; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013954:Thyroglobulin; D001151:Arsenic; D013974:Thyroxine