SynthesisEnvironmental research2021
Toenails as a biomarker of exposure to arsenic: A review.
Synthesis in Environmental research, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 39 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
39 citing papers in PubMed, 72 citations in OpenAlex.
- Associations between a mixture of trace elements and bladder cancer occurrence: A study of possible reverse causation.Environmental epidemiology (Philadelphia, Pa.) · 2026Article
- Arsenic exposure and skin cancer: Mechanisms, clinical evidence and public health implications (Review).International journal of molecular medicine · 2026Review
- Toxic metals and urban oil and gas production in a Latina cohort in South Los Angeles, California.Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology · 2026Article
- Associations between urinary arsenic and vitamin D deficiency: a cross-sectional analysis of NHANES 2011-2018.Journal of health, population, and nutrition · 2026Article
- Time-Varying Exposure to Element Mixtures and Children's Cognition at 5 Years of Age: Findings from the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study.Environmental health perspectives · 2026Article
- Return to baseline arsenic concentrations after 1 year on gluten-free diet in children with celiac disease: A prospective cohort study.JPGN reports · 2026Article
- Toenail metal concentrations and kidney health among young people at risk of chronic kidney disease of uncertain etiology.Environmental epidemiology (Philadelphia, Pa.) · 2026Article
- Associations of arsenic exposure and folate in maternal leukocyte DNA methylation: a case-control study of mothers with spina-bifida affected children.Environmental health : a global access science source · 2026Article
- Associations between prenatal metal exposure, gene variants, and birth size in Taiwan Birth Panel Study.Pediatric research · 2026Article
- Prenatal exposure to essential and toxic elements in relation to infant growth trajectories.Environmental health : a global access science source · 2026Article
- Cross-sectional association of arsenic exposure with thyroid function in Bangladeshi children aged 5 to 7 years.Environmental health : a global access science source · 2026Article
- Companion dogs' hair and nails as biomarkers of metal(loid) exposure in a former gold and arsenic mining area, France.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Calibration of Toenail Metal Concentrations for Sample Mass Heterogeneity and Between-Batch Variability: The COMET Approach.Environmental health perspectives · 2025Article
- Changes in Concentration of Selected Biomarkers of Exposure in Users of Classic Cigarettes, E-Cigarettes, and Heated Tobacco Products-A Narrative Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- Parental arsenic exposure and tissue-specific DNA methylation in Bangladeshi infants with spina bifida.Epigenetics · 2024Article
- Maternal arsenic exposure modifies associations between arsenic, folate and arsenic metabolism gene variants, and spina bifida risk: A case‒control study in Bangladesh.Environmental research · 2024Article
- Arsenic exposure and measures of glucose tolerance in Bangladeshi adults: A cross-sectional study.Environmental epidemiology (Philadelphia, Pa.) · 2024Article
- Arsenic modifies the effect of folic acid in spina bifida prevention, a large hospital-based case-control study in Bangladesh.Environmental health : a global access science source · 2024Article
- Seasonal patterns in trace elements assessed in toenails.Environmental advances · 2024Article
- Arsenic Exposure-Related Hypertension in Bangladesh and Reduced Circulating Nitric Oxide Bioavailability.Environmental health perspectives · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
This systematic review summarizes the current evidence related to the reliability of toenail total arsenic concentrations (thereafter "arsenic") as a biomarker of long-term exposure. Specifically, we reviewed literature on consistency of repeated measures over time, association with other biomarkers and metal concentrations, factors influencing concentrations, and associations with health effects. We identified 129 papers containing quantitative original data on arsenic in toenail samples covering populations from 29 different countries. We observed geographic differences in toenail arsenic concentrations, with highest median or mean concentrations in Asian countries. Arsenic-contaminated drinking water, occupational exposure or living in specific industrial areas were associated with an increased toenail arsenic content. The effects of other potential determinants and sources of arsenic exposure including diet, gender and age on the concentrations in toenails need further investigations. Toenail arsenic was correlated with the concentrations in hair and fingernails, and with urine arsenic mainly among highly exposed populations with a toenail mean or median ≥1 μg/g. Overall, there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that arsenic content from a single toenail sample may reflect long-term internal dose-exposure. Toenail arsenic can serve as a reliable measure of toxic inorganic arsenic exposure in chronic disease research, particularly promising for cancer and cardiovascular conditions.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.