title: Urinary and dietary analysis of 18,470 bangladeshis reveal a correlation of rice consumption with arsenic exposure and toxicity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We utilized data from the Health Effects of Arsenic Longitudinal Study (HEALS) in Araihazar, Bangladesh, to evaluate the association of steamed rice consumption with urinary total arsenic concentration and arsenical skin lesions in the overall study cohort (N=18,470) and in a subset with available urinary arsenic metabolite data (N=4,517).
  
  
  METHODS
  General linear models with standardized beta coefficients were used to estimate associations between steamed rice consumption and urinary total arsenic concentration and urinary arsenic metabolites. Logistic regression models were used to estimate prevalence odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations between rice intake and prevalent skin lesions at baseline. Discrete time hazard models were used to estimate discrete time (HRs) ratios and their 95% CIs for the associations between rice intake and incident skin lesions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Steamed rice consumption was positively associated with creatinine-adjusted urinary total arsenic (β=0.041, 95% CI: 0.032-0.051) and urinary total arsenic with statistical adjustment for creatinine in the model (β=0.043, 95% CI: 0.032-0.053). Additionally, we observed a significant trend in skin lesion prevalence (P-trend=0.007) and a moderate trend in skin lesion incidence (P-trend=0.07) associated with increased intake of steamed rice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that rice intake may be a source of arsenic exposure beyond drinking water.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Studies, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Melkonian
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Argos
authors.forename: Megan N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Faruque
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Parvez
authors.forename: Brandon
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pierce
authors.forename: Hongyuan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Briseis
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Aschebrook-Kilfoy
authors.forename: Alauddin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Tariqul
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.forename: Vesna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Slavcovich
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gamble
authors.forename: Parvez I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Haris
authors.forename: Joseph H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Graziano
authors.forename: Habibul
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ahsan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001151:Arsenic / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000652:urine*; D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012275:Oryza / Q000737:chemistry*; D015995:Prevalence; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water; D001151:Arsenic