title: Preliminary human health risk assessment of arsenic and fluoride in tap water from Zacatecas, México.
abstract: Zacatecas state is located in the central area of Mexico, where the underground water contains elevated quantities of natural arsenic and fluoride. In order to estimate health risk associated with human exposure to these pollutants, tap water samples from the southern-central region of the state were analyzed. Ninety percent of the samples exceeded the levels of arsenic established by the World Health Organization (WHO) of 0.01 mg/L and 43 % exceeded the limit established by the NOM-127-SSA1(1) of 0.025 mg/L. Forty-three percent of the samples had fluoride levels above the Mexican regulation limit of 1.5 mg/L (NOM-127-SSA1). We used WHO and EPA's health risk assessment method, we estimated 80 % of the inhabitants of sites studied could be exposed to arsenic levels higher than those recommended by EPA and the WHO, 22 % could be exposed to fluoride levels higher than those recommended by EPA, and 16 % of the local population may be in risk of suffering dental fluorosis.
authors.affiliation: Unidad Académica de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Zacatecas, Mexico.
authors.forename: Mónica I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Martínez-Acuña
authors.affiliation: Unidad Académica de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Zacatecas, Mexico.
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mercado-Reyes
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Investigación Molecular en Nutrición LIMON, Universidad del Centro de México, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
authors.forename: Jorge A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Alegría-Torres
authors.affiliation: Toxicología Ambiental, CIACYT-Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Avenida Sierra Leona No. 550, Colonia Lomas Segunda Sección, CP 78210, San Luis Potosí, SLP, Mexico. jjesus@uaslp.mx.
authors.forename: José J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Mejía-Saavedra
mesh_terms: D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis*; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005459:Fluorides / Q000032:analysis*; D009050:Fluorosis, Dental / Q000453:epidemiology; D060587:Groundwater / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008800:Mexico; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014881:Water Supply / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D001151:Arsenic; D005459:Fluorides
keywords: Arsenic; Fluoride; Risk assessment; Water