title: Exposure to inorganic arsenic in drinking water and total urinary arsenic concentration in a Chilean population.
abstract: The relationship of inorganic arsenic exposure through drinking water and total urinary arsenic excretion in a nonoccupationally exposed population was evaluated in a cross-sectional study in three mayor cities of Chile (Antofagasta, Santiago, and Temuco). A total of 756 individuals in three population strata (elderly, students, and workers) provided first morning void urine specimens the day after exposure and food surveys were administered. Arsenic intake from drinking water was estimated from analysis of tap water samples, plus 24-h dietary recall and food frequency questionnaires. Multilevel analysis was used to evaluate the effects of the age group and city factors adjusted by predictor variables. Arsenic levels in drinking water and urine were significantly higher in Antofagasta compared with the other cities. City-and individual-level factors, 12% and 88%, respectively, accounted for the variability in urinary arsenic concentration. The main predictors of urinary arsenic concentration were total arsenic consumption through water and age. These findings indicate that arsenic concentration in drinking water continues to be the principal contributing factor to exposure to inorganic arsenic in the Chilean population.
authors.affiliation: Environmental and Occupational Health Division, School of Public Health, University of Chile, Chile. caceres@email.unc.edu
authors.forename: Dante D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Caceres
authors.forename: Paulina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pino
authors.forename: Nestor
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Montesinos
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Atalah
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Amigo
authors.forename: Dana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Loomis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001152:Arsenicals / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis / Q000652:urine*; D002677:Chile; D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine; D004326:Drinking; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D014505:Urban Population; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis / Q000652:urine*; D014881:Water Supply / Q000592:standards*
chemical_list: D001152:Arsenicals; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D003404:Creatinine