Our new ecologic evidence from Northern Chile suggests that arsenic exposure in childhood or in utero could cause up to a 10-fold increase in lung cancer in young adults. This may be the first time that early-life exposure to a common environmental agent has been linked to such high risks of an adult cancer in humans. Although supported by intriguing animal data, these findings are preliminary and need to be confirmed. The highly unique arsenic exposure scenario in Northern Chile offers an excellent and rare opportunity to do this. Because almost everyone in Northern Chile obtains their water from large municipal sources, and past arsenic levels in all of these sources are well documented over the past 50 years or more, arsenic carcinogenicity can be studied using data on past exposure that are much more accurate than can be obtained anywhere else in the world. In addition, a very distinct 14-year period of high exposure in this area has created a population where tens of thousands of people were highly exposed only in utero and early childhood. As such, this area provides a unique opportunity to study the long-term impacts of an early-life carcinogen with excellent data on past exposure. We propose a case-control study of 675 lung and bladder cancer cases obtained over a three-year period using a rapid case ascertainment system involving all local pathologists. Controls will be obtained from the Chile electoral register which includes 94% of the Chile population. We will obtain dose-response information with data on past exposure that is more accurate than found in any previous study and that can be directly applied to US regulatory and public health decisions. Biological samples will be collected and susceptibility related to metabolism, diet, genetics, and other factors will also be investigated. We have found evidence that people producing high levels of monomethylated arsenic (MMA) may have 2-5 times higher cancer risks than others. Whether this is due to the rarely studied but highly toxic trivalent form (MMA3) will be explored and could provide new information on the primary toxic species of arsenic carcinogenesis. Millions of people in the US are exposed to drinking water arsenic. Current US arsenic regulations do not incorporate information on potentially susceptible subgroups despite the fact that cancer risks in these groups could be exceedingly high. The information gained from this project may help to determine if some people, such as children, pregnant women, those who metabolize arsenic poorly, or those with poor nutrition, may need special consideration in regulatory standard setting. Information on early-life exposure, MMA3, diet, and the future genetic and proteomic studies we will plan as part of this project could add further insight into the important co-factors and mechanisms of environmental carcinogenesis. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
1R01ES014032-01A2
Application #
7258653
Study Section
Epidemiology of Cancer Study Section (EPIC)
Program Officer
Gray, Kimberly A
Project Start
2007-08-09
Project End
2011-05-31
Budget Start
2007-08-09
Budget End
2008-05-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2007
Total Cost
$398,857
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Berkeley
Department
Public Health & Prev Medicine
Type
Schools of Public Health
DUNS #
124726725
City
Berkeley
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
94704
Roh, Taehyun; Steinmaus, Craig; Marshall, Guillermo et al. (2018) Age at Exposure to Arsenic in Water and Mortality 30-40 Years After Exposure Cessation. Am J Epidemiol 187:2297-2305
Castriota, Felicia; Acevedo, Johanna; Ferreccio, Catterina et al. (2018) Obesity and increased susceptibility to arsenic-related type 2 diabetes in Northern Chile. Environ Res 167:248-254
Nardone, Anthony; Ferreccio, Catterina; Acevedo, Johanna et al. (2017) The impact of BMI on non-malignant respiratory symptoms and lung function in arsenic exposed adults of Northern Chile. Environ Res 158:710-719
de la Rosa, Rosemarie; Steinmaus, Craig; Akers, Nicholas K et al. (2017) Associations between arsenic (+3 oxidation state) methyltransferase (AS3MT) and N-6 adenine-specific DNA methyltransferase 1 (N6AMT1) polymorphisms, arsenic metabolism, and cancer risk in a chilean population. Environ Mol Mutagen 58:411-422
Hall, Emily M; Acevedo, Johanna; López, Francisca González et al. (2017) Hypertension among adults exposed to drinking water arsenic in Northern Chile. Environ Res 153:99-105
Steinmaus, Craig; Ferreccio, Catterina; Acevedo, Johanna et al. (2016) High risks of lung disease associated with early-life and moderate lifetime arsenic exposure in northern Chile. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 313:10-15
Steinmaus, Craig; Castriota, Felicia; Ferreccio, Catterina et al. (2015) Obesity and excess weight in early adulthood and high risks of arsenic-related cancer in later life. Environ Res 142:594-601
Steinmaus, Craig; Ferreccio, Catterina; Smith, Allan H (2015) Three Authors Reply. Am J Epidemiol 182:90-2
Steinmaus, Craig; Ferreccio, Catterina; Yuan, Yan et al. (2014) Elevated lung cancer in younger adults and low concentrations of arsenic in water. Am J Epidemiol 180:1082-7
Steinmaus, Craig; Ferreccio, Catterina; Acevedo, Johanna et al. (2014) Increased lung and bladder cancer incidence in adults after in utero and early-life arsenic exposure. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 23:1529-38

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