Arsenic exposure through drinking Water and oxidative stress Status: A cross-sectional study in the Ayeyarwady region, Myanmar

Arsenic is a well-known toxic heavy metal that is naturally dispersed in groundwater. Whereas arsenic is widely accepted to be involved in oxidative stress damage, little is known about arsenic-induced oxidative damage in relationship to contaminated drinking water as a source. The aim of this study was to determine the association between arsenic exposure through drinking water and oxidative stress status by measuring levels of urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8 - OHdG) as a biomarker of oxidative stress damage in a Myanmar population. A questionnaire-based survey and drinking water and urine sampling (n = 198) were performed to assess the association between arsenic exposure and urinary 8 - OHdG concentration in the Ayeyarwady Region, Myanmar. Urinary arsenic concentrations were significantly correlated with drinking water arsenic concentrations (Spearman's rho = 0.32, p < 0.001). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that higher urinary arsenic concentrations were significantly associated with higher 8-OHdG concentrations (coefficient = 0.09, 95% confidence interval, 0.03 - 0.15; p = 0.002). The present study identified that exposure to arsenic through drinking water could induce an increase in the urinary 8-OHdG concentration, reflecting increased oxidative DNA damage. These findings provide evidence that may explain the role of arsenic-induced oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of arsenic-induced diseases including cancers.