High inorganic arsenic exposure to diabetes has been established earlier by studies in Bangladesh, Taiwan and Mexico. But the effect of low and moderate levels of arsenic was unknown. A study in the US has found that inorganic arsenic, even at low levels, may cause diabetes. Found in mineral deposits in rocks and soil, arsenic leaches into groundwater, which when supplied for drinking, can be harmful, say researchers of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA.

The researchers studied data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 2003-04 for 788 adults. They found that individuals with diabetes had higher levels of inorganic arsenic compared to those without diabetes. Apart from contaminated drinking water, flour and rice can also contain small quantities of inorganic arsenic, if grown or cooked in areas with arsenic contaminated soil or water.

The study says that 8 per cent of the public water supply system in the US may exceed arsenic levels of 10 micrograms per litre, the US Environmental Protection Agency’s standard for arsenic concentration in drinking water.

“Estimated daily dietary intake of inorganic arsenic in the US ranges from 8.4-14 micrograms per day for various age groups,”

said the study published in the August 20 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

This study predicts a grim future for India where arsenic poisoning is spreading to new areas. India is also called the diabetes capital of the world. However, one problem with the study is that the direct linkage between arsenic exposure and diabetes has not been explored.

“This is a cross-sectional study. Two observations have been made on the basis of data available. Only the association can be claimed, not the causality. The two things may happen together, but it’s not necessary that one causes the other. Further studies need to be carried out,”

said Nikhil Tandon, professor in the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, AIIMS, Delhi.

Shashank R Joshi, endocrinologist at Lilawati Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai, says,

“Arsenic related diabetes would form a very small percentage of the total diabetes in the country which is high, due to susceptible genes, bad diet and lack of exercise.”

India is the leading exporter of guar gum, constituting about 80 per cent of the global production. It is being exported to other countries since 1956. Guar gum is derived from guar seeds (cluster beans), a legume crop that grows in semi-arid regions of the subcontinent. It is used as a thickening agent and as an additive in food products.

Traders are now worried because certification is not easy and there is just one testing facility in India, which is very expensive.

“Vimta in Hyderabad charges Rs 30,000-35,000 per sample. Hence, a five-batch container will prove to be very expensive. Rajasthan is planning a testing facility. But till that comes up, big manufacturers will gain because they have their own internal testing laboratories. We need advanced testing facilities at subsidised prices, otherwise small exporters will suffer,”

says Jeewan Gandhi, president of the Rajasthan Guar Gum Association.

However, Girdhari Lal Sarda, president of the All India Guar Gum Manufacturers and Exporters’ Association, says there is no problem. “If we have to export, we will have to show certification; it is not the question of big or small traders,” he said.

The level of dioxin found in the consignment from India Glycol was up to 156 picogrammes per gram of fat, which is well above the six picogrammes allowed by EU.

“This was probably because India Glycol manufactures ethanol in the same compound where they produce gum in their plant in Kashipur in Uttarakhand,’ Gandhi said.

A team from EU is visiting India on October 5-7 to discuss the issue. The team will visit Hyderabad and Jodhpur where most of the food-grade guar is produced.