Factors Affecting Arsenic Methylation in Contaminated Italian Areas

Chronic arsenic (As) exposure is a critical public health issue. The As metabolism canbe influenced by many factors. The objective of this study is to verify if these factors influence Asmetabolism in four Italian areas aected by As pollution. Descriptive analyses were conducted on271 subjects aged 20-49 in order to assess the eect of each factor considered on As methylation.Percentages of metabolites of As in urine, primary and secondary methylation indexes were calculatedas indicators for metabolic capacity. The results indicate that women have a better methylation capacity(MC) than men, and drinking As-contaminated water from public aqueducts is associated withpoorer MC, especially in areas with natural As pollution. In areas with anthropogenic As pollutionoccupational exposure is associated with a higherMCwhile smoking with a poorer MC. Dietary habitsand genetic characteristics are probably implicated in As metabolism. BMI, alcohol consumption andpolymorphism of the AS3MT gene seem not to influence As MC. Arsenic metabolism may be aectedby various factors and in order to achieve a comprehensive risk assessment of As-associated disease,it is crucial to understand how these factors contribute to dierences in As metabolism.