Association of beer consumption with arsenic concentration in urine: a result from a cross-sectional study of the general Japanese population.
OBJECTIVE
The first aim of this study was to evaluate the association between time spent living near a contaminated area and concentration of arsenic (As) compounds in the urine among study subjects. The second aim is to assess the association between consumption of various foods or beverages and As concentration in urine among them.


METHODS
Urine sampling was performed on 177 persons who voluntarily participated in the survey in May 2014. The median value of the sum of inorganic As (iAs) and total As (tAs) compounds was used for us to divide into two groups, such as the high and low iAs and high and low tAs groups. We analyzed data separately in two-age strata of age group A (the subjects <18 years old), and age group B (the subjects ≥18 years old). A multivariate analysis was performed with the logistic regression model to adjust for potential confounding variables.


RESULTS
No link between time spent living near a contaminated area and urinary As concentration was observed in our study. For age group B, frequently drinking beer was significantly associated with risk of being in the high tAs group (p = 0.008). Compared to not drinking beer, odds ratios (95 % confidence intervals) of drinking beer <1 or 2 times per week, and drinking beer ≥3 or 4 times per week were 3.09 (1.32-7.24) and 3.00 (1.02-8.80), respectively, after adjusting for age, sex, and smoking index.


CONCLUSIONS
Frequent consumption of beer may be associated with high tAs in age group B.
Department of Public Health, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, South1, West 17, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-8556, Japan. mitsurum@sapmed.ac.jp.
Mitsuru
M
Mori
Department of Public Health, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, South1, West 17, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-8556, Japan.
Tomoyo
T
Sato
Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Muroran Institute of Technology, 27-1, Mizumoto-cho, Muroran, Hokkaido, 050-8585, Japan.
Hideki
H
Yoshida
Department of Applied Sciences, Muroran Institute of Technology, 27-1, Mizumoto-cho, Muroran, Hokkaido, 050-8585, Japan.
Yuichi
Y
Ohira
Muroran Health Center, 1-4, Kaigan-cho, Muroran, Hokkaido, 051-8555, Japan.
Yasushi
Y
Itou
Department of Health and Welfare, Muroran City, 4-20, Higashi-cho, Muroran, Hokkaido, 050-0083, Japan.
Shouko
S
Shimizu
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001151:Arsenic / Q000652:urine*; D001152:Arsenicals / Q000652:urine*; D001515:Beer / Q000032:analysis*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000652:urine*; D055815:Young Adult
D001152:Arsenicals; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D001151:Arsenic
Arsenic; Beer; Cross-sectional studies; Inorganic arsenic; Urine