The Effect of Variable Environmental Arsenic Contamination on Urinary Concentrations of Arsenic Species

Urinary arsenic species have been determined for approximately 3000 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 μg/L (the instrumental detection limit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental health perspectives 1990-11, Vol.89, p.145-151
Main Authors: Kalman, David A., Hughes, James, van Belle, Gerald, Burbacher, Thomas, Bolgiano, Doug, Coble, Kimberly, Mottet, N. Karle, Polissar, Lincoln
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
Arsenic
Arsenic - urine
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL WASTES
BODY FLUIDS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
Chemical Industry
CONTAMINATION
Control groups
Environmental Exposure
Environmental health
Environmental Pollutants - adverse effects
Environmental Pollutants - analysis
FISH PRODUCTS
FOOD
Food Contamination
Hazardous Waste
HUMAN POPULATIONS
Male animals
MATERIALS
POPULATIONS
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT
SEAFOOD
Seafoods
Shellfish
SMELTERS
Soil pollution
Soil samples
Species
URINE
Washington
WASTES
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Description
Summary:Urinary arsenic species have been determined for approximately 3000 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 μg/L (the instrumental detection limit) to 180 μg/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 (p < 0.001) increase in all urinary species. This effect was more pronounced in males (5-fold increase in median sum of species concentration over control group) than in females (2-fold increase in median sum of species concentration over control group) 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.
ISSN:0091-6765
1552-9924
DOI:10.1289/ehp.9089145