A recent study co-authored by a Texas A&M assistant professor found little remaining evidence of chronic respiratory illness in females who were exposed to the toxin.
Growing evidence shows that early-life exposure to arsenic leads to continued health effects later in life, but a recent study has shown that long-term effects tend to be more prevalent in males than they are in females. The study, which counts a Texas A&M University faculty member among its authors, found that by the age range of 14-26, there is little remaining evidence of chronic respiratory effects in females, but pronounced effects persist in males.
“This is the first longitudinal cohort study of respiratory effects in adolescents and young adults who were exposed to arsenic in utero and in early childhood,” said Taehyun Roh, one of the study’s authors and an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Texas A&M School of Public Health.
Exposure to arsenic in utero and during early childhood has long been linked to various respiratory illnesses that could have lifelong health effects. Continued exposure to the toxin has been associated with chronic cough, dyspnea and breathlessness.
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