Rubilar Paola, Hirmas-Adauy Macarena, Apablaza Mauricio, Awad Camila, Molina Xaviera, Muñoz María Pía, Delgado Iris, Zanetta-Colombo Nicolás C, Castillo-Laborde Carla, Matute María Isabel, Retamal Mauricio A, Olea Andrea, Pino Paulina, González Claudia, Carvajal Cristóbal, Iglesias Verónica
Centro de Epidemiología y Políticas de Salud, Facultad de Medicina Clínica Alemana, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7610658, Chile.
Facultad de Gobierno, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7610658, Chile.
Toxics. 2025 Mar 16;13(3):215. doi: 10.3390/toxics13030215.
Arsenic chronic exposure, particularly in its inorganic form, represents a significant public health concern. This study was conducted in Arica, the northernmost city in the country, whose inhabitants have been exposed to inorganic arsenic both naturally through drinking water and anthropogenically due to a toxic waste disposal site. We explored changes in inorganic arsenic levels in a cohort of pregnant women and their children over a decade, identifying exposure trends and their determinants. We used data on arsenic exposure through maternal urine samples during pregnancy, collected by the Health Authority between 2013 and 2016 (measurement 1), and followed up with assessments of their children in 2023 (measurement 2). Temporal changes in inorganic arsenic concentration were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test, and a mixed linear regression model was employed to determine which factors contributed to urinary inorganic arsenic levels. We did not observe significant differences in mean arsenic concentrations between the two-time points ( = 0.4026). The mixed linear regression model revealed that children consuming bottled water had 8.3% lower urinary inorganic arsenic concentrations than those drinking tap water (95% CI: -15.36 to -0.54%). Additionally, children from ethnic groups had 8.64% higher inorganic arsenic concentrations (95% CI: 0.49 to 17.5%), while those with caregivers with higher education showed a 13.67% reduction (95% CI: -25.06 to -0.56%). Despite mitigation efforts, these findings underscore the ongoing risk of inorganic arsenic exposure among vulnerable populations. They further emphasize the importance of addressing natural arsenic contamination in water and implementing targeted interventions to reduce disparities associated with socioeconomic and demographic factors.
长期接触砷，尤其是无机砷，是一个重大的公共卫生问题。本研究在该国最北部的城市阿里卡进行，当地居民通过饮用水自然接触无机砷，同时由于一个有毒废物处理场，也受到人为因素导致的无机砷接触。我们探讨了一组孕妇及其子女在十年间无机砷水平的变化，确定了接触趋势及其决定因素。我们使用了卫生当局在2013年至2016年期间收集的孕妇孕期尿液样本中的砷接触数据（测量1），并在2023年对其子女进行了随访评估（测量2）。使用Wilcoxon符号秩检验分析无机砷浓度的时间变化，并采用混合线性回归模型确定哪些因素导致尿液中无机砷水平升高。我们没有观察到两个时间点之间的平均砷浓度有显著差异（ = 0.4026）。混合线性回归模型显示，饮用瓶装水的儿童尿液中无机砷浓度比饮用自来水的儿童低8.3%（95%置信区间：-15.36至-0.54%）。此外，来自少数族裔群体的儿童无机砷浓度高8.64%（95%置信区间：0.49至17.5%），而照顾者受过高等教育的儿童无机砷浓度降低了13.67%（95%置信区间：-25.06至-0.56%）。尽管采取了缓解措施，但这些发现强调了弱势群体中无机砷接触的持续风险。它们进一步强调了解决水中天然砷污染以及实施有针对性的干预措施以减少与社会经济和人口因素相关的差距的重要性。
