Arsenic (As) is one of the most toxic environmental pollutants and is classified as a Class I carcinogen. Arsenic is directly linked to the onset of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancers of the skin, lung, intestine, and kidneys. Arsenic exposure affects millions of people around the world. Overuse of arsenical pesticides is the main reason for As contamination in the US. Mining is another source of As contamination. Additionally, leaching of As from wood structures used as decks and children’s playground equipment treated with the wood preservative, Copper Chromated Arsenate (CCA), resulted in the accumulation of As in soil. Despite the ban on arsenical pesticides and CCA since 2010, extensive use over decades has led to the accumulation of As in the soil. Arsenic in the soil (soil-As) can be taken up by food crops leading to exposure through ingestion. However, there is also the risk of direct exposure of soil-As through direct skin exposure that remains understudied. Currently, only the European Union has set an advisory safety limit of 20 mg/kg for soil-As; no other environmental or health organization has recognized As exposure from the soil as a major human health concern. As yet, there are no in-vitro models to test the effect of environmental soil-As on human health. Exposure of soil-As should be a major health concern especially for people working in the fields and mines who are at risk of soil-As exposure on a daily basis. We developed in-vitro models using cell culture and soil geochemistry techniques to simulate exposure to soil As through direct skin contact. Human skin cells were treated with four of soil-As rates (45 mg/kg, 225 mg/kg, 450 mg/kg, and 900 mg/kg). These treatments were based on estimated arsenic levels accumulated in agricultural soil over 10-year use of arsenical pesticides. The effect of soil-As on cellular morphology, biochemical pathways, and gene expression was tested. Developing models to simulate the effect of soil-As exposure through dermal contact, ingestion, and inhalation is expected to provide a better understanding of the effects of soil-As on human health. Once optimized, these models can be used to study the effects of a variety of metal and non-metal contaminants on human health caused by exposure to contaminated soil.

Development of in-vitro cell culture models to investigate human health risk from soil-arsenic exposure

ACS Spring 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.