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Food sources of arsenic in pregnant Mediterranean women with high urine concentrations of this metalloid

  • 14th EuCheMS International Conference on Chemistry and the Environment (ICCE 2013, Barcelona, June 25 - 28, 2013)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Seafood consumption provides a significant amount of arsenic, although in its organic, nontoxic forms. Mediterranean populations may incorporate high levels of this metalloid as a consequence of seafood consumption. In the present study, the significance of this input among pregnant women from a Mediterranean city (Sabadell, Catalonia, Spain) is assessed. Total urinary arsenic was analyzed in 489 pairs of urine samples, corresponding to the 12th and 32th weeks of pregnancy. Association of arsenic content with seafood and other dietary items were studied. Geometric mean concentrations were 34 and 37 μg/g creatinine during the first and third trimesters, respectively. The observed concentrations were similar to those reported in studies from other Mediterranean countries. The differences between both periods were not statistically significant. The only dietary factor significantly and positively associated with total urinary arsenic in both series of samples was seafood, particularly lean fish. Moreover, lean fish consumption during both periods was found to be the main determinant for differences in levels of arsenic between the first and third trimesters, which confirms the association between high levels of total urinary arsenic and seafood consumption.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support from projects CROME-LIFE (LIFE12 ENV/GR/001040), HEALS (FP7-ENV-2013- 603946), Consolider-Ingenio GRACCIE (CSD2007-00067), and MARATO TV3 090431 is acknowledged. Funding from Generalitat de Catalunya is also acknowledged (2009 SGR 1178)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, Jordi Girona, 18., 08034, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

    Marta Fort & Joan O. Grimalt

  2. Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Doctor Aiguader, 88., 08003, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

    Maribel Casas & Jordi Sunyer

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  1. Marta Fort
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  2. Joan O. Grimalt
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  3. Maribel Casas
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  4. Jordi Sunyer
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Correspondence to Joan O. Grimalt.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Fort, M., Grimalt, J.O., Casas, M. et al. Food sources of arsenic in pregnant Mediterranean women with high urine concentrations of this metalloid. Environ Sci Pollut Res 21, 11689–11698 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-2614-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-2614-4

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