Arsenic contamination through natural (geogenic) and anthropogenic sources is a serious threat to humans all over the world. Natural sources of As exposure may include contaminated groundwater, volcanic sediments, coal, and spring thermal waters. The number of people affected by As is staggering, the problems are life threatening, the scope is global, and the potential for medical geology interventions is enormous. In this manuscript, we provide an overview of the global health impacts from chronic As exposure. There is sufficient evidence from human epidemiological studies in Taiwan, Chile, Argentina, and Bangladesh to conclude that ingestion of As in drinking water poses a hazard of cancer of the lung and the bladder, in addition to cancer of the skin. However, no human studies of sufficient statistical power or scope have examined whether consumption of As in drinking water at the current World Health Organization standard of 10 ppb results in an increased incidence of cancer or noncancer effects. Therefore, research efforts are urgently needed to better understand the health risk assessment from chronic low-exposure levels to As, as well as speciation studies to better define the distribution of As in the natural environment, food, and other sources of exposure. Medical geology has the objectives of identifying harmful geologic agents; determining exposure relating to deteriorating health conditions; and developing sound principles, strategies, programs, and approaches to eliminate or minimize health risks, with particular focus on the naturally occurring physical and chemical agents in the environment. Interaction and communication should be encouraged between the geoscience and biomedical/public health communities to seek novel solutions to better protect human health from the damaging effects of As exposure.
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