Is ingested inorganic arsenic a "threshold" carcinogen?

Charles O. Abernathy, Willard R. Chappell, M. E. Meek, H. Gibb, H. R. Guo

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

42 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Ingested inorganic arsenic (As) is known to be a human carcinogen. An intriguing question is whether there is a threshold for the carcinogenic effects of As, i.e., is there a level below which it does not induce the development of cancer(s)? This Roundtable will discuss the United States Environmental Protection Agency's As risk assessment using the Taiwan data from different viewpoints. It will also consider the hypothesis that there is a threshold for As and data for or against this hypothesis. For example, some scientists believe that epidemiological data cannot answer this question, while others feel that different study designs and larger sampling will provide adequate data. Reasons for each position are given. This Roundtable discussion demonstrates the controversy surrounding the use of the Taiwan data for risk assessment.

Original languageEnglish
Article number0018
Pages (from-to)168-175
Number of pages8
JournalToxicological Sciences
Volume29
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1996

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Toxicology

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