A comparison of arsenic exposure in young

Overview

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arsenic (As) levels greater than the EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (10 μg/L) were identified in home water samples.
Results: Arsenic was detectable in all children tested. Blood levels ranged from 0.09–2.61 μg/dL; approximately 31% of
children tested at Time I (79/252) had blood As values above the current acceptable limit (1.2 μg/dL). Approximately 8% of
household water samples (6/76) had As levels higher than 10 μg/L. Community did not predict child blood As levels;
Background absorb 40% to 90% more ingested heavy metals (11, 12).
(EPA) maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 μg/L mately three weeks prior to child testing; child assent
ground water samples reported that 25.8% of southwest communities had not been tested previously for heavy
current maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 μg/L, attempted, and as many children as possible were recruited
with values ranging from 10 to 24 μg/L; an additional from each community.
16.9% had levels ≥25 μg/L. Specific regional analysis of
expected to have As levels exceeding 10 μg/L (34). All children in this study lived and attended elementary
tic wells and without access to a municipal water predominantly Hispanic or Latino descent (96.1%), and
tested had As levels exceeding 10 μg/L. Children (36). All families in this community depended on water
on well-water sources had higher blood As levels as of predominantly Hispanic or Latino descent (98.9%),
followed up with parents throughout the study via remaining 19% of children who did not complete Time
April to May (Community 1, n = 44; Community 2, n = 74), dinners held at the elementary schools that school
n = 58; Community 2, n = 76) and also re-test all children Blood sample collection and analysis
months after Time I testing. As indicted in Table 1, 81% scheduled. Household water samples were collected
Table 1 Demographic characteristics of participants by community at Time I and Time II
Females % 42.2% 56.0% 50.4% 37.9% 53.8% 47.1%
Mother’s Ethnicity n (%) 72/102 (71%) 115/150 (77%) 187/252 (74%) 59/87 (68%) 91/117 (78%) 150/204 (74%)
Hispanic/Mexican-American 98.6% 98.3% 98.4% 98.3% 100.0% 99.3%
Father’s Ethnicity n (%) 70/102 (69%) 109/150 (73%) 179/252 (71%) 57/87 (66%) 88/117 (75%) 146/204 (72%)
Hispanic/ Mexican-American 100.0% 93.6% 96.1% 100% 94.3% 95.9%
with 70% alcohol and lint-free wipes, and completing a SAS Version 9.3. (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, North Carolina)
2% nitric acid (prepared containers provided by the level changed significantly from Time I to Time II
Type III sum of squares were interpreted for all models. mean family size was 5.17 (±1.42). For households with
particularly for larger samples sizes, e.g. N > 50. None- Table 2 summarizes child anthropometric measurements
than the upper quartile were identified as outliers and Consistent with national averages, approximately 33%
each report of general linear model results including all level for “elevated”) (42). As shown in Table 2, at Time I,
and Time II are provided in Tables 2 and 6. approached the exposure limit while mean Cd and Pb
Results (Time I As geometric mean = 0.85). As Table 3 and Fig. 1
The demographic characteristics of the analyzed sample illustrate, As levels ranged from 0.09 to 2.61 μg/dL;
of 252 children are shown in Table 1. approximately 31% of children (79/252) had blood As
Demographic and health and personal history data values above the defined limit. An additional 12% of
included approximately equal numbers of males and fe- Table 3 Frequencies of child blood As levels at Time I testing
males with a mean Time I age of 8.01 (±1.92). Approxi- by community (N = 252)
mately 98% of parents self-identified as Hispanic, Latino, Community 1 Community 2
Table 2 Anthropometrics and heavy metal blood levels of % %
Normal (5th–85th %ile) 65.7% 62.4% 62.2% 1.200–1.399a 10 9.8 79 77.5 28 18.7 132 88.0
Fig. 1 Frequency of child As blood levels at Time I by community (N = 252)
(Table 4), the sum of squares was not significant for

Methods (brief)

arsenic (As) levels greater than the EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (10 μg/L) were identified in home water samples.
Home water samples were collected according to U.S. Environmental Protection agency recommended procedures.
Child heavy metal blood levels and home water sample heavy metal levels were analyzed using inductively coupled
plasma mass spectrometry. General linear regression analysis was used to test the influence of community on child As
household water samples (6/76) had As levels higher than 10 μg/L. Community did not predict child blood As levels;
ground water samples reported that 25.8% of southwest communities had not been tested previously for heavy
regions tested had As concentration levels above the metal exposure, effect and sample size estimations were not
the Rio Grande aquifer samples showed that 19.2% were Study population
supply (35). Approximately half of water samples including 316 children between the ages of 5 and 14
levels, for a subsample of children in each commu- Recruitment and sample
nity, home water samples were also tested and used Parents and children were recruited from the elementary
home water samples were also tested. We predicted and during Parent-Teacher Conference nights. Children
above). A total of 102 children completed Time I testing sample of children; only one child had been previously
2 children declined the finger-stick blood collection pletion, child testing, and water sample collection). All
n = 58; Community 2, n = 76) and also re-test all children Blood sample collection and analysis
Funding allowed household water sample testing im- the sample finger (usually ring-finger of the left hand)
mediately after Time I child testing for a subsample of with an alcohol swipe before lancing. One 50 μl whole
118 recruited children in Communities 1 and 2 from 84 blood finger stick sample was collected from each child

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Update history

The five most recent substantive edits to this page, classified major (evidence or structure moved), correction (a published value or statement was wrong and has been fixed), or minor (narrative rewritten without changing the underlying evidence). Each description is derived from what the edit did to this page; the linked commit is the authoritative record, routine regeneration passes are excluded, and the full version history lives in git. When DOI minting comes online (see schema docs), each entry below will also link to a version-pinned DataCite DOI.

Commit	Date	Change	Description
b01ec52c	2026-08-04	major	2 sections added
d49e450f	2026-08-03	major	5 sections added; narrative text revised