Exposure to inorganic arsenic (As) via drinking water has been linked to increased risk of skin cancer, internal cancers, and cardiovascular disease, and an association between diabetes mellitus and exposure to relatively high concentrations (> 500 ?g/L) of As in drinking water has been reported.

Arsenic is a carcinogen to which 35 million people in Bangladesh are chronically exposed. The enzymatic transfer of methyl groups to inorganic As (iAs) generates monomethylarsonic (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acids (DMA) and facilitates urinary As (uAs) elimination.