Relationship of urinary arsenic metabolites to intake estimates in residents of the Red River Delta, Vietnam.
This study investigated the status of arsenic (As) exposure from groundwater and rice, and its methylation capacity in residents from the Red River Delta, Vietnam. Arsenic levels in groundwater ranged from <1.8 to 486 microg/L. Remarkably, 86% of groundwater samples exceeded WHO drinking water guideline of 10 microg/L. Also, estimated inorganic As intake from groundwater and rice were over Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (15 microg/week/kg body wt.) by FAO/WHO for 92% of the residents examined. Inorganic As and its metabolite (monomethylarsonic acid and dimethylarsinic acid) concentrations in human urine were positively correlated with estimated inorganic As intake. These results suggest that residents in these areas are exposed to As through consumption of groundwater and rice, and potential health risk of As is of great concern for these people. Urinary concentration ratios of dimethylarsinic acid to monomethylarsonic acid in children were higher than those in adults, especially among men, indicating greater As methylation capacity in children.
Agusa
Tetsuro
T
Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, Bunkyo-cho 2-5, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan.
Kunito
Takashi
T
Minh
Tu Binh
TB
Kim Trang
Pham Thi
PT
Iwata
Hisato
H
Viet
Pham Hung
PH
Tanabe
Shinsuke
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis / Q000652:urine*; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008745:Methylation; D012275:Oryza / Q000737:chemistry; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D012737:Sex Factors; D014744:Vietnam; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000652:urine*; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis; D055815:Young Adult
D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D001151:Arsenic