Editorial
Year: 2011
Type: editorial
Abstract: Arsenic in drinking water affects more than 100 million people worldwide with the majority being in Asia, especially in Bangladesh [1]. Tackling this massive environmental health problem requires policy and actions guided by sound scientific knowledge garnered through research from multiple biomedical and nonbiomedical disciplines. This special issue of KMU Medical Journal is an attempt toward that in synthesizing research knowledge across various biomedical disciplines addressing epidemiology, clinical, biochemical, molecular, and mechanistic aspects of the multidimensional problem. These articles should be of value to readers who are not only interested in the arsenic problem but also those who are involved in environmental medicine and toxicology in general. The special issue begins with a series of articles by Mazumder and Dasgupta [2], Yunus et al. [3], and Sun et al. [4] providing a comprehensive review of human epidemiological research conducted to date in West Bengal, India; Matlab, Bangladesh; and Mainland China, respectively. Although all three articles covered the dermatological manifestations of arsenic, the hallmark of chronic arsenic toxicity, the coverage of other health conditions, and associated molecular and clinical aspects varied depending on the research infrastructure and context as well as local exposure and health effects scenarios of the respective countries. The remaining articles in this special issue mainly focused on mechanistic, molecular, or metabolic aspects of arsenic and the associated health implications. Two articles, by Wu et al. [5] and Hsua et al. [6], evaluated the metabolism of arsenic and its relevance to health effects. First, Wu et al. [5] showed that exposure dose influences measures of urinary arsenic species in mice; and except for very high dose range, the distribution of arsenic species in urine is proportional to total exposure. This finding, which is consistent with human population studies, highlights the potential utility of urinary arsenic species in risk assessment [7]. Second, Hsua et al. [6] reviewed human studies using measures of arsenic specifies analyzed in diverse biological fluids and laboratory settings and confirmed the importance of arsenic specifies in assessing human health effects. The next three articles focused on two specific aspects of arsenic-induced molecular and cellular mechanisms. In an effort to elucidate the mechanisms of interactions of arsenic with cellular proteins in target tissues, Hsu et al. [8] evaluated the synthesis, structure, and biological relevance of potassium encapsulated arsenic-thiol compounds. Liao et al. [9] evaluated dose-dependent molecular changes specifically in keratinocytes as a target endpoint to elucidate mechanistic basis for arsenic-related skin cancer—the most common cancer associated with arsenic exposure across the world. In a closely related article, Lee et al. [10] reviewed the immunological factors determining/mediating the dose-dependent effects of arsenic on the molecular processes involved in skin carcinogenesis. In the last article of the mechanistic series, Chen et al. [11] reviewed the mechanistic evidence underlying the potential relationship between arsenic exposure and diabetes—a topic of recent controversy based on studies in the United States [12]-[14]. Finally, Lan et al. [15] commented on the importance of the large body of literature and relevant experiences derived from a range of research studies conducted in Taiwan over the past several decades. In particular, the article underscored the utility of lessons learnt from research studies in Taiwan in tackling similar drinking water arsenic crisis experienced in recent years in other parts of the world. The article also touched on future research strategies on the topic. In conclusion, arsenic in drinking water continues to be a major public health problem in the world. Clearly, scientific knowledge-guided policies and actions are urgently needed to effectively address the growing menace of the problem.
Author: Habibul Ahsan
Institutions: University of Chicago, Columbia University
Language: English
Subfield: Environmental Chemistry
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,200
OpenAlex ID: W2461644516