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Abstract: Coal is widely used in PR China. Unfortunately, coal from some areas in Guizhou Province contains elevated levels of arsenic. This has caused arsenicosis in individuals who use arsenic-contaminated coal for the purposes of heating, cooking and drying of food in poorly ventilated dwellings. The population at risk has been estimated to be approximately 200,000 people. Clinical symptoms of arsenicosis may include changes of skin pigmentation, hyperkeratosis of hand and feet, skin cancers, liver damage, persistent cough and chronic bronchitis. We analyzed the porphyrin excretion profile using a HPLC method in urine samples collected from 113 villagers who lived in Xing Ren district, a coal-borne arsenicosis endemic area and from 30 villagers from Xing Yi where arsenicosis is not prevalent. Urinary porphyrins were higher in the arsenic exposed group than those in the control group. The correlation between urinary arsenic and porphyrin concentrations demonstrated the effect of arsenic on heme biosynthesis resulting in increased porphyrin excretion. Both uroporphyrin and coproporphyrin III showed significant increases in the excretion profile of the younger age (<20 years) arsenic-exposed group, suggesting that porphyrins could be used as early warning biomarkers of chronic arsenic exposure in humans. Greater increases of urinary arsenic and porphyrins in women, children and older age groups who spend much of their time indoors suggest that they might be at a higher risk. Whether elevated porphyrins could predict adverse health effects associated with both cancer and non-cancer end-points in chronically arsenic-exposed populations need further investigation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] We examined arsenic and two biomarkers in subjects post the water intervention. [•] Urinary arsenic levels were significantly higher in villagers from the endemic area. [•] Urinary porphyrins and malondialdehyde were elevated when arsenic was high. [•] Skin lesions were observed in 51 out of 178 surveyed people in the As-endemic area. [•] Four out of nine young villagers born after the intervention exhibited As-related skin lesions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Arsenic interferes with the function of enzymes responsible for haem biosynthesis leading to alteration in the porphyrin profile. In this study, young female C57Bl/6J mice were given drinking water containing 0, 100, 250 and 500 μg AsV/L as sodium arsenate ad libitum for 24 months. 24 h pooled urine samples were collected bimonthly for urinary arsenic methylation and porphyrin analyses by HPLC-ICP-MS and HPLC respectively. The levels of total arsenic were significantly dose related except for the 2nd month interval. No significant differences in the urinary arsenic methylation pattern between control and test groups were observed. Coproporphyrin I (Copro I) showed a significant dose–response relationship after 12, 14 and 20 months of exposure. Significant differences in the levels of coproporphyrin III (Copro III) were observed in the 8th month in 250 and 500 μg/L treatment groups and the dose–response pattern was maintained after 10 and 12 months. Our results suggest that urinary arsenic is a useful biomarker for internal dose, and that urinary coproporphyrin can be used as an early warning biomarker of effects before the onset of cancer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]