Arsenic Exposure and Impaired Lung Function. Findings from a Large Population-based Prospective Cohort Study

RATIONALE: Exposure to arsenic through drinking water has been linked to respiratory symptoms, obstructive lung diseases, and mortality from respiratory diseases. Limited evidence for the deleterious effects on lung function exists among individuals exposed to a high dose of arsenic. OBJECTIVES: To determine the deleterious effects on lung function that exist among individuals exposed to a high dose of arsenic. METHODS: In 950 individuals who presented with any respiratory symptom among a population-based cohort of 20,033 adults, we evaluated the association between arsenic exposure, measured by well water and urinary arsenic concentrations measured at baseline, and post-bronchodilator-administered pulmonary function assessed during follow-up. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: For every one SD increase in baseline water arsenic exposure, we observed a lower…