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Folic acid lowers blood arsenic levels, according to Mailman School of Public Health study
Date:10/8/2007

could more easily be excreted from the body, thus lowering the levels of arsenic found in the blood.

Chronic arsenic exposure currently affects 100 million persons worldwide, including populations in Bangladesh. The arsenic levels in drinking water in some parts of Bangladesh reach as high as 100 times the World Health Organization and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines, which set a limit of 10 micrograms per liter for arsenic in drinking water.

The initial intervention study included 200 folate-deficient participants drawn from a larger cohort study in Bangladesh examining the adverse health effects of arsenic. Dr. Gamble pointed out, The technology to measure arsenic in blood, and particularly to measure the individual arsenic metabolites in blood, didnt exist when the studies were first planned. She credits the advanced technology to recent advances in other laboratories at Columbia, including work conducted by Superfund grantee Joseph H. Graziano, PhD, professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the Mailman School, and a co-author on the study.

Clearly the first priority should focus on mitigation efforts to lower arsenic exposure. But this very exciting and significant finding implies that folic acid has therapeutic potential for people who have been exposed to arsenic, said Dr. Gamble. Although additional studies are needed, the results of this study suggest that a simple, low-cost nutritional intervention may help to prevent some of the long-term health consequences associated with arsenic exposure for the many populations at risk.

William Suk, PhD, acting deputy director of the NIEHS, discussed the significance of this work in Bangladesh to the U.S. He explains that arsenic contamination of groundwater is one of the five most common inorganic compounds found at Superfund sites and is present at over 70% of the sites. Because of the prevalence of arsenic, the SBRP has placed an emphas
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Contact: Stephanie Berger
sb2247@columbia.edu
212-305-4372
Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health
Source:Eurekalert

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