ABSTRACT
The highest non-cancer mortality SMR was for bronchiectasis (SMR for those born during high exposure = 46.2 (95% CI 21.1-87.7), p < 0.001) (Smith et al., 2006) (see Table 1).
The mechanism by which As causes later effects is not fully understood, but mechanisms proposed include the ability of As to induce oxidative stress, especially oxidative DNA damage; the possibility that As acts via epigenetic effects, mainly by interfering with DNA methylation; and the role of As as a potent endocrine disruptor that interacts with most classes of steroid hormones (Vahter, 2008).
