The effect of variable environmental arsenic contamination on urinary concentrations of arsenic species
- Univ. of Washington, Seattle (USA)
- Puget Sound Blood Center, Seattle, WA (USA)
- Tacoma-Pierce County Health Dept., WA (USA)
Urinary arsenic species have been determined for approximately 3,000 urine samples obtained from residents of a community surrounding an arsenic-emitting copper smelter. Levels of inorganic, monomethylated and dimethylated arsenic species ranged from less than 1 {mu}g/L (the instrumental detection limit) to 180 {mu}g/L seen for dimethyl arsenic. Comparison of a subsample of this population that had the least environmental contamination with the subsample having highest environmental arsenic concentrations showed small but statistically significant differences in urinary arsenic levels for all species except dimethylated arsenic. However, for children under 7 years of age living in areas with increased environmental arsenic contamination, there was a larger and equally significant increase in all urinary species. This effect was more pronounced and was observed as a weaker effect in the next higher age group (7-13 years of age). Reported consumption of seafood also was significantly related to increased urinary dimethyl arsenic, but changes in distribution among the urinary arsenic species detected was not a sensitive indicator of recent seafood consumption.
- OSTI ID:
- 5840099
- Journal Information:
- Environmental Health Perspectives; (USA), Vol. 89; ISSN 0091-6765
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
URINE
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CONTAMINATION
HUMAN POPULATIONS
SEAFOOD
SMELTERS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL WASTES
BODY FLUIDS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
FISH PRODUCTS
FOOD
MATERIALS
POPULATIONS
WASTES
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology