Diabetes: Are Traces of Arsenic in Tap Water Linked to Diabetes

Are Traces of Arsenic in Tap Water Linked to Diabetes?
A new study has shown that people with small amounts of arsenic in their urine are more likely to suffer from diabetes, and raises the possibility that drinking tap or bottle water contaminated with trace amounts of arsenic may be a risk factor for the disease. The [diabetes] risk was apparent at levels generally considered harmless and grew with increasing exposure [Bloomberg]. "It seems there is may be no safe level of arsenic," [lead researcher Ana] Navas-Acien said in a telephone interview. "Worldwide it's a huge problem" [Reuters]. Previous epidemiological studies in Bangladesh, Mexico, and Taiwan have shown that drinking water with high levels of arsenic in linked to high rates of diabetes. While safety standards for drinking water are much stricter in the United States, researchers say that 13 million Americans may be drinking water with arsenic levels that exceed federal guidelines. People in rural areas who drink well water may be particularly at risk, researchers say. Arsenic is a toxic element commonly found in rocks and soil, and which can get into drinking water naturally when minerals dissolve. It is also an industrial pollutant from coal burning and copper smelting. Utilities use filtration systems to get it out of drinking water. Seafood also contains nontoxic organic arsenic [AP]. ANOTHER ARTICLE ON DIABETES AND ARSENIC Exposure to low and moderate levels of inorganic arsenic of the type found in drinking water has been linked to diabetes. Scientists have long connected arsenic exposure to cancer, but new research indicates that the chemical may also play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins reported recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association that exposure to low or moderate levels of inorganic arsenic, usually found in drinking water, is correlated with the development of type 2 diabetes. According to USA Today, "participants with type 2 diabetes had a 26% higher level of inorganic arsenic than those who didn't have the disease."

Exposure to arsenic might cause diabetes for several reasons. According to Web MD: "Insulin-sensitive cells that are exposed to insulin and sodium arsenic appear to take in less glucose than cells exposed only to insulin. Arsenic could influence genetic factors that interfere with insulin sensitivity and other processes. Arsenic also may contribute to oxygen-related cell damage, inflammation, and cell death, all of which are linked to diabetes."

Type 2 diabetes usually occurs later in life when the pancreas cannot properly regulate its insulin secretion, thereby causing fluctuations in blood sugar. It is often associated with poor diet, lack of exercise and obesity, though new evidence of external causes suggests that the disease is not entirely the result of lifestyle.