Arsenic and Other Metals’ Presence in Biomarkers of Cambodians in Arsenic Contaminated Areas

Chemical analyses of metal (Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Mo, Ba, and Pb) concentrations in hair, nails, and urine of Cambodians in arsenic-contaminated areas who consumed groundwater daily showed elevated levels in these biomarkers for most metals of toxicological interest. The levels of metals in biomarkers corresponded to their levels in groundwater, especially for As, whose concentrations exceeded the WHO guidelines for drinking water. About 75.6% of hair samples from the population in this study contained As levels higher than the normal level in unexposed individuals (1 mg·kg(−1)). Most of the population (83.3%) showed As urinary levels exceeding the normal (<50 ng·mg(−1)). These results indicate the possibility of arsenicosis symptoms in residents of the areas studied. Among the three biomarkers tested, hair has shown to be a reliable indicator of metal exposures. The levels of As (r(2) = 0.633), Ba (r(2) = 0.646), Fe (r(2) = 0.595), and Mo (r(2) = 0.555) in hair were strongly positively associated with the levels of those metals in groundwater. In addition, significant weak correlations (p < 0.01) were found between levels of exposure to As and As concentrations in both nails (r(2) = 0.544) and urine (r(2) = 0.243).