Arsenic exposure is associated with elevated sweat chloride concentration and airflow obstruction among adults in Bangladesh: a cross sectional study.

Arsenic is associated with lung disease and experimental models suggest that arsenic-induced degradation of the chloride channel CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator) is a mechanism of arsenic toxicity. We examined associations between arsenic exposure, sweat chloride concentration (measure of CFTR function), and pulmonary function among 285 adults in Bangladesh. Participants with sweat chloride ≥ 60 mmol/L had higher arsenic exposures than those with sweat chloride < 60 mmol/L (water: median 77.

Arsenic exposure and measures of glucose tolerance in Bangladeshi adults: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Arsenic has been associated with diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance in many studies, although some reports have shown null findings.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among 300 adults in Bangladesh. Participants were randomly selected from a roster of 1800 people who previously participated in studies of arsenic and skin lesions.

Testing the Limit: Evaluating Drinking Water Arsenic Regulatory Levels Based on Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in Bangladesh.

(1) Background: Arsenic (As) is a common drinking water contaminant that is regulated as a carcinogen. Yet, As is a systemic toxicant and there is considerable epidemiological data showing As adversely impacts reproductive health. This study used data from a birth cohort in Bangladesh (2008−2011) to examine associations between drinking water As levels and reproductive outcomes.

A prospective study of arsenic and manganese exposures and maternal blood pressure during gestation.

Background: Pregnancy is a sensitive time for maternal cardiovascular functioning and exposures to arsenic or manganese may adversely affect blood pressure (BP).

Objectives: This study examined the associations between arsenic and manganese exposures and maternal BP measured during pregnancy. Effect modification by pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) was evaluated.

Evaluating the effects between metal mixtures and serum vaccine antibody concentrations in children: a prospective birth cohort study.

Background: Many populations are exposed to arsenic, lead, and manganese. These metals influence immune function. We evaluated the association between exposure to single and multiple metals, including arsenic, lead, and manganese, to humoral immunity as measured by antibody concentrations to diphtheria and tetanus toxoid among vaccinated Bangladeshi children.

Arsenic exposure and serum antibody concentrations to diphtheria and tetanus toxoid in children at age 5: A prospective birth cohort in Bangladesh.

Background: Arsenic can impair immune function. Timing of exposure can influence potential immunotoxicity of arsenic exposure. We examined the association between drinking water arsenic concentrations (W-As) measured repeatedly during different exposure windows in early life and serum concentrations of IgG antibodies against diphtheria and tetanus toxoids (diphtheria and tetanus antibody).

Lead in Air in Bangladesh: Exposure in a Rural Community with Elevated Blood Lead Concentrations among Young Children.

Previous evaluations of a birth cohort in the Munshiganj District of Bangladesh had found that over 85% of 397 children aged 2⁻3 years had blood lead concentrations above the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's reference level of 5 μg/dL. Studies in urban areas of Bangladesh have found elevated levels of lead in the air due to industries and remaining contamination from the historic use of leaded gasoline. Sources of lead in rural areas of Bangladesh remain unknown.

The Joint Effect of Prenatal Exposure to Metal Mixtures on Neurodevelopmental Outcomes at 20-40 Months of Age: Evidence from Rural Bangladesh.

Background: Exposure to chemical mixtures is recognized as the real-life scenario in all populations, needing new statistical methods that can assess their complex effects.

Objectives: We aimed to assess the joint effect of in utero exposure to arsenic, manganese, and lead on children's neurodevelopment.

Methods: We employed a novel statistical approach, Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR), to study the joint effect of coexposure to arsenic, manganese, and lead on neurodevelopment using an adapted Bayley Scale of Infant and Toddler Development™.

A cross sectional study of anemia and iron deficiency as risk factors for arsenic-induced skin lesions in Bangladeshi women.

Background: In the Ganges Delta, chronic arsenic poisoning is a health concern affecting millions of people who rely on groundwater as their potable water source. The prevalence of anemia is also high in this region, particularly among women. Moreover, arsenic is known to affect heme synthesis and erythrocytes and the risk of arsenic-induced skin lesions appears to differ by sex.

Variability in biomarkers of arsenic exposure and metabolism in adults over time.

Background: Urinary arsenic metabolites (UAs) are used as biomarkers of exposure and metabolism.

Objectives: To characterize inter- and intraindividual variability in UAs in healthy individuals.

Methods: In a longitudinal study conducted in Bangladesh, we collected water and spot urine samples from 196 participants every 3 months for 2 years.

Maternal arsenic exposure associated with low birth weight in Bangladesh.

Objective: To characterize the effects of maternal arsenic exposure on birth weight.

Methods: Hair, toenail, and drinking water samples were collected from pregnant women (n = 52) at multiple time points during pregnancy and from their newborns after birth. Total arsenic was measured using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.