title: In utero and early childhood exposure to arsenic decreases lung function in children.
abstract: The lung is a target organ for adverse health outcomes following exposure to As. Several studies have reported a high prevalence of respiratory symptoms and diseases in subjects highly exposed to As through drinking water; however, most studies to date has been performed in exposed adults, with little information on respiratory effects in children. The objective of the study was to evaluate the association between urinary levels of As and its metabolites with lung function in children exposed in utero and in early childhood to high As levels through drinking water. A total of 358 healthy children were included in our study. Individual exposure was assessed based on urinary concentration of inorganic As. Lung function was assessed by spirometry. Participants were exposed since pregnancy until early childhood to an average water As concentration of 152.13 µg l⁻¹. The mean urinary As level registered in the studied subjects was 141.2 µg l⁻¹ and only 16.7% had a urinary concentration below the national concern level. Forced vital capacity was significantly decreased in the studied population and it was negatively associated with the percentage of inorganic As. More than 57% of the subjects had a restrictive spirometric pattern. The urinary As level was higher in those children with restrictive lung patterns when compared with the levels registered in subjects with normal spirometric patterns. Exposure to As through drinking water during in utero and early life was associated with a decrease in forced vital capacity and with a restrictive spirometric pattern in the children evaluated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Biomedical Research Center, School of Medicine, University of Coahuila, Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico.
authors.forename: Rogelio
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Recio-Vega
authors.forename: Tania
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Cortes
authors.forename: Edgar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Olivas-Calderon
authors.forename: R Clark
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Lantz
authors.forename: A Jay
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Gandolfi
authors.forename: Cesar
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-De Alba
mesh_terms: D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000652:urine; D002648:Child; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000737:chemistry; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018876:Environmental Illness / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000652:urine; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000196:embryology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012423:Rural Health; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014797:Vital Capacity / Q000187:drug effects; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000652:urine; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D001151:Arsenic
keywords: Arsenic; children; in utero exposure; lung function; spirometry