Title: Arsenic
Headings: Arsenic
Arsenic
Introduction
Where is arsenic found?
How does arsenic get into the body?
How much arsenic can be in drinking water?
How can I find out whether there is arsenic in my drinking water?
How do I remove arsenic from my drinking water?
How does arsenic affect people?
Ways to reduce arsenic risk
Fact Sheets
Arsenic
What is NIEHS Doing?
Fundamental arsenic research
Arsenic and cancer
Early-life exposures to arsenic and development
Arsenic and diabetes
Translational research on arsenic
Further Reading
Stories from the Environmental Factor (NIEHS Newsletter)
Additional Resources
Related Health Topics

Content: In several cell culture and animal models, arsenic has been found to act as an endocrine disruptor, which may underlie many of its health effects. 3 Other mechanisms are also likely contributors to arsenic’s health effects. Arsenic and cancer
Arsenic is a known human carcinogen associated with skin, lung, bladder, kidney, and liver cancer. 4 A new study from the NTP Laboratory that replicates how humans are exposed to arsenic through their whole lifetime found that mice exposed to low concentrations of arsenic in drinking water developed lung cancer. The concentrations in the drinking water given to the mice were similar to what humans, who use water from contaminated wells, might consume. 5
Early-life exposures to arsenic and development
Not only is arsenic a known human carcinogen, but it can predispose children to other health problems later in life. Researchers supported by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program at the University of California, Berkeley, found increased incidence of lung and bladder cancer in adults exposed to arsenic early in life, even up to 40 years after high exposures ceased. These findings provide rare human evidence that an early-life environmental exposure can be associated with a high risk of cancer as an adult. 6
Arsenic and diabetes
Several studies, including a review of the literature by NTP, have suggested an association between low-to-moderate levels of arsenic and metabolic diseases, such as diabetes. 7
Translational research on arsenic
At least 30 million people in Bangladesh are exposed to arsenic in their drinking water.