Arsenic, which is naturally occurring in rock and soil, is found in increased levels in Arizona and Mexico because of the regions’ geology, said Jason Roberge, the study coordinator of the project and a PhD student in epidemiology at the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health. “It’s definitely a concern here,” Roberge said. “Arsenic is naturally occurring in some of the groundwater, and water companies should be removing it. If you have been drinking lots of arsenic for 20 to 30 years, you can run into serious health problems. I’m hoping that this study does make a difference.”

Long-term exposure to arsenic is related to different types of cancers, such as lung, kidney, and skin, Roberge said. In parts of Bangladesh, arsenic is found in 200 to 300 parts per billion where a correlation between cancer and arsenic has been discovered. In the United States, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has set the standard at 10 parts per billion for arsenic in drinking water. The study aims to explore the health effects of arsenic below 50 parts per billion and to examine genes affected by arsenic among residents in Arizona and Sonora, Mexico.

The study is headed by principal investigator Robin Harris, PhD, MPH associate professor at the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health. Student workers have been recruiting residents who live in areas that could be affected by arsenic, which include Tucson, Ajo, San Manuel and New River in Arizona. Roberge has also monitored recruitment in Hermosillo and Ciudad Obregón in México. Interviewers plan to ask participants from 350 households on both sides of the border for blood and urine samples to analyze the level of arsenic in their bodies and explore the potential health effects.

The study, which is funded by the National Cancer Institute, is slated for completion by fall 2007.