Associations between drinking water and urinary arsenic levels and skin lesions in Bangladesh

The present study examined the associations between drinking water and urin ary arsenic levels and skin lesions among 167 residents of three contiguous villages in Bangladesh. Thirty-six (21,6%) had skin lesions (melanosis, hy perkeratosis, or both), of which 13 (36.1%) occurred in subjects who were c urrently drinking water containing concentrations of arsenic <50 <mu>g/L. T he risk for skin lesions in relation to the exposure estimates based on uri nary arsenic was elevated more than 3-fold, with the odds ratios for the hi ghest versus the lowest quartiles being 3.6 (95 % confidence interval, 1.2 to 12.1) for urinary total arsenic and 3.2 (95 % confidence interval, 1.1 t o 10.0) for urinary creatinine-adjusted total arsenic, The risks for skin l esions in relation to the exposure estimates based on arsenic in drinking w ater were less strongly elevated, with the odds ratios for the highest vers us the lowest quartiles of exposure being 1.7 (95% confidence interval, 0,6 to 5.1) for drinking-water arsenic and 2,3 for cumulative arsenic index. T he study suggests that arsenic exposure is associated with shin lesions in the Bangladesh population and that urinary arsenic may be a stronger predic tor of skin lesions than arsenic in drinking water in this population.