Understanding arsenic metabolism through a comparative study of arsenic levels in the urine, hair and fingernails of healthy volunteers from three unexposed ethnic groups in the United Kingdom
- De Monfort University, The Gateway, School of Allied Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Leicester LE1 9BH (United Kingdom)
- University of Manchester, School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences and Williamson Research Centre for Molecular Environmental Science, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom)
- University of Leicester, Cancer Biomarkers and Prevention Group, Biocentre, Leicester LE1 7RH (United Kingdom)
Very little is known about arsenic (As) metabolism in healthy populations that are not exposed to high concentrations of As in their food or water. Here we present a study with healthy volunteers from three different ethnic groups, residing in Leicester, UK, which reveals statistically significant differences in the levels of total As in urine and fingernail samples. Urine (n = 63), hair (n = 36) and fingernail (n = 36) samples from Asians, Somali Black-Africans and Whites were analysed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy (GF-AAS). The results clearly show that the total concentrations of As in urine and fingernail samples of a Somali Black-African population (urine 7.2 {mu}g/g creatinine; fingernails 723.1 {mu}g/kg) are significantly (P < 0.05) different from the Asian (urine 24.5 {mu}g/g creatinine; fingernails 153.9 {mu}g/kg) and White groups (urine 20.9 {mu}g/g creatinine; fingernails 177.0 {mu}g/kg). The chemical speciation of As in the urine of the three groups was also measured using high performance liquid chromatography coupled to ICP-MS. This showed that the proportion of the total urinary As present as dimethylarsenate (DMA) was higher for the Somali Black-African group (50%) compared to the Asians (16%) and Whites (22%). However, there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the level of As in the hair samples from these three groups; Somali Black-Africans (116.0 {mu}g/kg), Asians (117.4 {mu}g/kg) and Whites (141.2 {mu}g/kg). Significantly different levels of total As in fingernail and urine and a higher percentage of urinary DMA in the Somali Black-Africans are suggestive of a different pattern of As metabolism in this ethnic group.
- OSTI ID:
- 20850433
- Journal Information:
- Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, Vol. 216, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2006.04.004; PII: S0041-008X(06)00132-3; Copyright (c) 2006 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0041-008X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Urinary arsenic and porphyrin profile in C57BL/6J mice chronically exposed to monomethylarsonous acid (MMA{sup III}) for two years
Urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine and urothelial carcinoma risk in low arsenic exposure area