Arsenic Exposure From Drinking Water Linked To Increased Kidney Cancer Risk

New research suggests that consuming even low levels of arsenic in drinking water may substantially elevate the chances of developing kidney cancer, with each exposure further increasing the risk.

In a study featured in this month’s issue of the Environmental Pollution journal, researchers from Texas A&M University School of Public Health investigated the relationship between low-level arsenic exposure in drinking water and kidney cancer rates among individuals in Texas.

According to the findings, consuming water with moderate to high levels of arsenic increases a person’s kidney cancer risk by 6% to 22%. Additionally, the risk rises by 4% with each doubling of arsenic concentrations in the water.

Arsenic is a naturally occurring element commonly found in groundwater that poses a risk to approximately 40 million U.S. residents who depend on private wells for their drinking water.

Since many of these wells are not governed by federal regulations or subjected to consistent monitoring, many may be at an increased risk of exposure to drinking water containing arsenic above the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulatory limit of 10 parts per billion (ppb).

Long-term exposure to arsenic, even at low concentrations, is known to pose a variety of serious health risks. It can cause skin lesions, cardiovascular and respiratory issues, neurological and endocrine disorders. Additionally, arsenic exposure has been linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes, neurodevelopmental delays and cognitive impairments in children.

In their research, a team of researchers led by Taehyun Roh from the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Texas A&M University School of Public Health analyzed data spanning over 101.776 million person-years from 2016 to 2020, incorporating water quality records from 240 counties in Texas. They identified 28,896 cases of kidney cancer among adults aged 20 and older.

The study found that counties with medium (1–5 ppb) and high (>5 ppb) arsenic concentrations in drinking water exhibited significantly increased risks of kidney cancer, by 6% and 22% respectively, compared to counties with low arsenic levels (<1 ppb).

The data indicated there was a dose-response relationship between arsenic in water and kidney cancer rates, which increased by 4% with each doubling of water arsenic levels. This is a strong signal of a cause-and-effect relationship.

Researchers said the findings suggest that even low-level arsenic exposure in municipal water supplies may increase the risk of kidney cancer.

Overall, kidney cancer rates in the United States have risen by 1.2% annually from 2011 to 2019, making it the seventh most common cancer. This trend has intensified concerns about the underlying causes of the increase in potentially fatal cancers.

Although researchers identified a strong correlation between arsenic levels in drinking water and an increased risk of kidney cancer, Roh clarified that this does not prove causality, and further research is necessary to fully understand the relationship.

Furthermore, the researchers call for more stringent regulations on municipal water supplies across the country, coupled with enhanced public health initiatives designed to reduce the risks linked to arsenic contamination in water.