title: Health risk associated with dietary co-exposure to high levels of antimony and arsenic in the world's largest antimony mine area.
abstract: Like arsenic (As), antimony (Sb) is known to be a genotoxic element in vitro and in vivo. Sb is now recognized as a global contaminant and has aroused the global concerns recently. However, knowledge is scarce concerning the transfer of Sb from the environment to humans and the related hazards to human health. In this pilot study, the health risk and main pathway of long-term human exposure to Sb and As for residents around Chinese Xikuangshan (XKS) Sb mine, the world's largest Sb mine, were evaluated by dietary exposure and hair accumulations survey. The concentrations and species of Sb and As in food samples (n=209) from three main categories and six subcategories, and in hair samples (n=89) were determined. Residents in the vicinity of XKS had an estimated dietary intake of Sb (554 μg/day) which was 1.5 times higher than the tolerable daily intake (TDI) (Sb, 360 μg/day), whereas their dietary intake of inorganic As (107 μg/day) was slightly lower than the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) of 15 μg/kg BW/week (equal to 129 μg As/day). Hair Sb and As concentrations (Sb, 15.7 mg/kg, DW; As, 3.99 mg/kg, DW) in XKS residents are both above the normal/toxic level. Rice, vegetables (especially leafy vegetable), drinking water, and meat/poultry were the dominant dietary intake sources of Sb for the residents. In contrast, rice was the uniquely dominant dietary intake source of As. Antimonate (Sb(V)) was the dominant Sb species in vegetables, drinking water and residents' hairs. This study highlighted the difference of exposure characteristics between Sb and As. The preliminary results suggested that dietary exposures to Sb, rather than As, was the dominant health risk to local residents. Nevertheless, the adverse effects of As levels on the health of residents still can not be ignored since the elevated As concentrations in human hair have reached the critical level for health risks. In addition, this pilot study did not consider the possible Sb and As combined effects.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory for Lake Pollution Control, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China. wufengchang@vip.skleg.cn
authors.forename: Fengchang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Zhiyou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Bijun
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Changli
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mo
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Warren
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Corns
authors.forename: Haiqing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000965:Antimony / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D003611:Dairy Products / Q000032:analysis; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005504:Food Analysis; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006197:Hair / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D008906:Mining; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014675:Vegetables; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D000965:Antimony; D001151:Arsenic