Reducing arsenic levels in drinking water can significantly decrease long-term deaths from cardiovascular disease and cancer, according to a new study conducted by researchers at NYU Langone Health, Columbia University, and the University of Chicago.
The study tracked 10,977 adults in Bangladesh over two decades, from 2002 to 2022. During this period, initiatives to reduce arsenic contamination in drinking water resulted in a 70 percent reduction of arsenic concentrations. Urine tests among participants showed that their internal arsenic exposure was cut in half.
Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the research compared health outcomes between those whose exposure to arsenic dropped and those who continued to be exposed to high levels. The findings revealed that participants with reduced arsenic exposure experienced a 54 percent lower risk of death from any chronic disease. There were also specific reductions for heart diseases (57 percent) and cancer (49 percent).
“Our study provides the strongest evidence to date that lowering arsenic in drinking water can lower death rates from chronic disease,” said study co-lead investigator Fen Wu, PhD, senior research scientist at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. “Elevated arsenic levels in drinking water remains a pervasive public health issue because arsenic naturally accumulates in groundwater and has no taste or odor, so people can unknowingly consume unsafe levels for years.”
“Our research supports switching to safer water sources as a strategy to improve long-term health around the world,” said study senior investigator Yu Chen, PhD, MPH, professor in the Department of Population Health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. “Improved access to low-arsenic water, periodic testing, and clear signage to mark safer-from-higher-arsenic water are useful tools to accomplish this goal.”
Dr. Chen noted that previous studies had linked reduced mortality rates from heart disease and cancer with lower arsenic levels in regions such as Taiwan and Chile where concentrations exceeded 600 micrograms per liter. However, she pointed out that this is the first study providing direct evidence by monitoring both individual exposure and mortality over an extended period within an area with moderate contamination.
Researchers monitored more than 10,000 wells around Araihazar district in Bangladesh during the study period. Efforts included labeling wells based on their contamination status and encouraging residents through community education programs to use safer wells. New wells with lower concentrations were also drilled.
Participants underwent six rounds of urine testing throughout the study for ongoing measurement of their exposure. Over twenty years, there were 1,401 deaths recorded among participants due to chronic diseases—730 attributed to cardiovascular causes and 256 to cancer.
Bangladesh faces one of the most severe challenges globally regarding groundwater contaminated by naturally occurring arsenic; over 50 million residents are exposed above World Health Organization guidelines.
The research received funding support from National Institutes of Health grants R01ES035219, P42ES010349, and P4242ES033719.
Additional contributors included Mengling Liu from NYU Langone; Alexander van Geen and others from Columbia University; Habibul Ahsan’s team at University of Chicago; Kazi Matin Ahmed at University of Dhaka; Maria Argos at Boston University; as well as staff members at project offices in Dhaka.
NYU Langone Health operates an integrated health system known for its quality care outcomes across seven inpatient sites and numerous outpatient locations spanning New York and Florida. It has received top rankings nationally for its patient care standards according to Vizient Inc., along with recognition by U.S. News & World Report for several clinical specialties.
