Effects of Repeated Seafood Consumption on Urinary Excretion of Arsenic Species by Volunteers

• Published in: Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology Vol. 58; no. 1; pp. 222 - 229
• Main Authors: Choi, Byung-Sun, Choi, Seong-Jin, Kim, Dong-Won, Huang, Mingai, Kim, Na-Young, Park, Kyung-Su, Kim, Choong-Yong, Lee, Hyo-Min, Yum, Young-Na, Han, Eui-Sik, Kang, Tae-Seok, Yu, Il-Je, Park, Jung-Duck
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York New York : Springer-Verlag 01.01.2010; Springer-Verlag; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acids; administration & dosage; Algae; analysis; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; arsenates; Arsenic; Arsenic - administration & dosage; Arsenic - analysis; Arsenic - urine; Arsenic content; Arsenicals; Arsenicals - urine; aspartate transaminase; at-risk population; Biological; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers; cacodylic acid; Cacodylic Acid - urine; Carcinogens; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Drinking water; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring; excretion; exposure pathways; Feeding Behavior; Female; females; fish; Food Contamination; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; high performance liquid chromatography; Human exposure; Humans; hydrides; Ingestion; Korean Peninsula; lipid peroxidation; Liquid chromatography; long term effects; macroalgae; Male; males; Mammals; Mass spectrometry; metabolism; Metabolites; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Morning; Peroxidation; Pollution; Polymethyl methacrylates; Preventive medicine; Scientific imaging; Seafood; Seafood - analysis; seafoods; Soil Science & Conservation; Speciation; spectroscopy; Studies; Toxicity; uric acid; Urine; Volunteers; South Korea; Korean Peninsula; Uric Acid; Seafood Consumption; Inorganic Arsenic; Arsenite; Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake; Pollutant; Excretion; Pollution; Arsenic; Ecotoxicology; Toxicity; Volunteer; Seafood; Environment; Heavy metal
• ISSN: 0090-4341; 1432-0703; 1432-0703
• DOI: 10.1007/s00244-009-9333-8

Arsenic (As) is a known human carcinogen and widely distributed in the environment. The main route of As exposure in the general population is through food and drinking water. Seafood harvested in Korea contains high-level organoarsenics such as arsenobetaine, arsenocholine, and arsenosugars, which are much less harmful than inorganic arsenics. However, for those who eat large amounts of seafood it is important to understand whether seafood consumption affects urinary levels of inorganic As metabolites such as arsenite, arsenate, monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA). In this study we investigated urinary As metabolites (inorganic As, MMA[V], DMA[V]) and some biological indexes such as AST, GSH, GPX, lipid peroxidation, and uric acid in volunteer study subjects (seven males and nine females). Total urinary As metabolites were analyzed by the hydride generation method, followed by arsenic speciation using HPLC with ICP-mass spectrometry. Study subjects refrained from eating seafood for 3 days prior to the first urine collection and then ingested seafood daily for 6 consecutive days. The first voided urine of the morning was collected from each subject the first day of the consecutive 6 days of seafood ingestion but prior to the first seafood meal. The first voided urine of the morning was also collected on days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, and 14 after seafood ingestion. The daily mean intake of total As was 6.98 mg, comprised of 4.71 mg of seaweed (67%), 1.74 mg of flat fish (25%), and 0.53 mg of conch (8%). We observed a substantial increase in total urinary As metabolites for subjects consuming seafood from day 1, which recovered to control level at day 10. The increase in total urinary As metabolites was attributed to the increase in DMA, which is a more harmful metabolite than organoarsenics. However, no significant changes in response biological indexes were observed. These results suggest that it is necessary to evaluate As metabolism when assessing the exposure to inorganic As and potential chronic health effects of seafood consumption in Korea.