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Private well water arsenic exposures and lung function among rural Iowans: a cross-sectional pilot study

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Abstract

Objective

An estimated 450,000 rural Iowans depend on private wells for their drinking water, and eight percent of those wells are contaminated with arsenic above federal limits. High arsenic concentrations are associated with chronic lung disease, yet the effects on lung disease in the Midwestern United States remain unclear. We hypothesize that (1) Well water arsenic concentrations are associated with urinary arsenic concentrations, and (2) Arsenic exposures are associated with lung function impairment among well users.

Methods

We designed a cross-sectional pilot study in four rural Iowan counties. We collected kitchen-sink water, urine from each participant, and administered questionnaires. We analyzed water and urine arsenic concentrations using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS); and liquid chromatography ICP-MS for detecting urinary arsenic metabolites. Spirometry was performed according to American Thoracic Society guidelines. We fit regression models to evaluate the association between arsenic exposure, measured by private well water and urinary arsenic concentration, and obstructive lung disease.

Results

We enrolled 34 participants from 19 households. Water arsenic was significantly associated urinary arsenic concentrations. Every 1 µg/L increase in well water arsenic concentration predicted a 1.07 µg/L increase in urinary arsenic concentration (95% CI 0.47–1.67, p = 0.001). We found detectable arsenic concentrations in 42% of household well water samples and 94% of participant urine samples. We found no statistically significant associations between private well water arsenic concentration or urinary arsenic concentration and obstructive airway disease.

Conclusion

Private well water arsenic concentrations were positively associated with participant urinary arsenic concentrations, whereas rice consumption was not, suggesting that well water is a significant source for arsenic exposure among rural Iowans. Larger prospective studies are needed to assess the interrelationships between rural drinking water pollutants (such as heavy metals, pesticides, and nitrates) and chronic respiratory disease.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the participants for graciously volunteering their time and homes for our study. This project was funded by a pilot grant from the University of Iowa Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (NIH CTSA program grant UL1TR002537). MZ, GLB and RJB wrote the first draft of the manuscript; MJZ, JK, HR and RJB designed the study; MZ and RB implemented the study; MZ, BW, MS and RB collected the data; MZ, GLB and RJB analyzed the data; All authors revised the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA

    Michael Zavala, Greta L. Becker & Robert J. Blount

  2. Bremer County Extension Coordinator, Iowa State University, Tripoli, IA, USA

    Ron Lenth

  3. State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa, Coralville, IA, USA

    Brian Wels & Michael Schueller

  4. Department of Health and Human Physiology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA

    Justin Kahler

  5. Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA

    Heather Reisinger

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  1. Michael Zavala
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Correspondence to Robert J. Blount.

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Conflict of interest

Michael Zavala, Greta L. Becker, Ron Lenth, Brian Wels, Justin Kahler, Michael Schueller, Heather Reisinger, and Robert J. Blount declare that we have no conflict of interest.

Ethics approval

This project was reviewed and approved by the University of Iowa Institutional Review Board (ID# 202105223). Patient consent forms were reviewed and signed by all participants prior to data collection.

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Zavala, M., Becker, G.L., Lenth, R. et al. Private well water arsenic exposures and lung function among rural Iowans: a cross-sectional pilot study. Toxicol. Environ. Health Sci. 15, 325–333 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13530-023-00185-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13530-023-00185-6

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