Up to 90% of American tap water toxins put children at risk of life-long disability, studies suggest.
Arsenic, a toxic component naturally found on the planet, is found in up to 280 million homes that rely on public water systems.
Researchers at Columbia University found pregnant women exposed to traces Drinking water amount There was a much more chance that they had premature birth or that they had low weight children.
Children born at lifetime risk of preterm birth or weight loss become diseases like cognitive damage, developmental delays, and chronic diseases Diabetes, Heart disease, and immune deficiency.
Arsenic crosses the placenta and destroys fetal development by interfering with hormones, DNA expression and organ formation.
It also inhibits nutrient absorption and stunting growth, causing inflammation, and increases the risk of early birth.
EPA’s current maximum contamination limit (MCL) Arsenic in drinking water 10 micrograms (μg/L) per liter.
However, the researchers stated that “higher prenatal public hydro arsenic was associated with a lower birth weight, a decrease in birth weight – a decrease in local age and a higher risk of low birth weight, even at concentrations below 5 μg/l.”
69% of pregnant mothers exposed to high arsenic levels (5 micrograms > 5 micrograms per liter) were white. Their babies faced higher risks, including a lower birth weight of 8%
Arsenic penetrates the groundwater and contaminates the supply that ultimately reaches the home’s tap water.
An estimated 2.1 million people across the United States may be drinking domestic well water with arsenic.
This element has also been discovered in local governments in all 50 states. Up to 280 million people rely on public water systems.
The biggest concern is the southwestern water system due to erosion of arsenic-rich rocks and arsenic-rich volcanic and sedimentary rocks.
A new paper funded by the NIH analyzed data from a national research project called Echo Cohort, which tracks groups of more than 69 pregnant women and children in the United States and Puerto Rico.
Caucasian mothers revealed that they are most exposed to arsenic levels above 10 micrograms (μg/L) per liter in public water. It accounts for 69% of this group.
Of just under 8% of newborns, 1,190 of the 14,000 births, 840 infants were very few, and 1,400 babies were dangerously small during the development stage.
The map shows arsenic concentrations in public water systems across the country, with locations of participants from a study of 14,000 mothers
This study revealed racial and ethnic disparities in birth outcomes. Hispanic/Latin mothers had healthy babies with higher birth weights and fewer complications than non-Hispanic/Latin mothers.
In contrast, babies from black mothers were on average 245 grams lighter and faced a smaller risk of preterm birth, low birth weight and gestational age.
“Most American residents rely on public drinking water, and our findings suggest that further reductions in arsenic in public water systems could be an important step in improving infant health across the US.”
“Even low levels of arsenic in public drinking water were associated with low birth weight and other adverse birth outcomes in infants in the United States.”
Long-term exposure is associated with leukemia and cancer, including the large intestine, skin, breast, stomach, mouth, and kidneys, and heart disease.
Even inorganic arsenic, a type found in drinking water, wreaking havoc in the cardiovascular system by killing oxidative stress that can kill cells, inflammation that damages blood vessels, and hard, damaged arteries.
“Most American residents rely on public drinking water, and our findings suggest that further reductions in arsenic in public water systems could be an important step to improving infant health across the United States,” he said. Columbia UniversityPublic Health Mailman School.
Columbian researchers behind the latest study analyzed arsenic exposure in 14,000 US pregnancies by linking EPA water system data recorded between 2006 and 2019 to records of where participants lived during pregnancy.
The researchers tracked monthly hydroarsenic levels and looked at four birth outcomes: premature birth, low birth weight, small pregnancy size, and birth weight score.
The analysis explained factors such as mother age and education, while deliberately preserving racial/ethnic differences.
Even a slight increase in public water arsenic levels (1 μg/L) increased the risk of low birth weight by 3%, while higher exposure (5 μg/L) increased the risk by 16%.
They reported some warnings. Most of the ultrasound participants live in urban areas.
They estimated arsenic exposure based on local water systems near people’s homes, but it remains to be seen whether this fully captures actual exposure. People don’t just drink water at home. They are also exposed at work, at school, or elsewhere they often go.
Researcher’s findings were published in the journal Jama Network Open.
