Link Between Arsenic Exposure and a Cause of Type 1 Diabetes

Columbia: Arsenic found in the environment may have some association with the development of type 1 diabetes in youth under 18, according to researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.  They found that low plasma concentrations of Inorganicarsenic compared with other forms of arsenic were associated with both a higher odds and a higher prevalence of type 1 diabetes. Although studies have connected arsenic and diabetes in adults, this is one of the first to look at arsenic’s possible relationship with diabetes in children and teenagers. The findings are published online in the journal Diabetes Care.

Human gene identified for tolerance to an environmental hazard

Karolinska Institute. Sweden: Studies conducted at the Karolinska Institutet and Uppsala University in Sweden show that some indigenous groups in the Andes of northern Argentina have increased resistance to arsenic. The researchers also identified the gene that underlies the altered metabolism and protects against exposure to arsenic. This study is the first to show that some humans have genetically adapted to a polluted environment.

Many U.S. Wells Tainted with Arsenic

University of Columbia. US: Naturally occurring arsenic in private wells threatens people in many U.S. states and parts of Canada, according to a package of a dozen scientific papers just published by Columbia University and a consortium of many other universities. The Superfund Research Program, directed by Mailman School of Public Health professor Joseph Graziano, PhD, which is focused mainly on New England but applicable elsewhere, says private wells present continuing risks due to almost nonexistent regulation in most states, homeowner inaction and inadequate mitigation measures.