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Association of beer consumption with arsenic concentration in urine: a result from a cross-sectional study of the general Japanese population

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Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine Aims and scope

Abstract

Objectives

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.

Conclusion

Frequent consumption of beer may be associated with high tAs in age group B

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr. Shuji Dohi, MD & PhD, General Administrator of Muroran City General Hospital. Without his help, this research could not be executed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, South1, West 17, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-8556, Japan

    Mitsuru Mori & Tomoyo Sato

  2. Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Muroran Institute of Technology, 27-1, Mizumoto-cho, Muroran, Hokkaido, 050-8585, Japan

    Hideki Yoshida

  3. Department of Applied Sciences, Muroran Institute of Technology, 27-1, Mizumoto-cho, Muroran, Hokkaido, 050-8585, Japan

    Yuichi Ohira

  4. Muroran Health Center, 1-4, Kaigan-cho, Muroran, Hokkaido, 051-8555, Japan

    Yasushi Itou

  5. Department of Health and Welfare, Muroran City, 4-20, Higashi-cho, Muroran, Hokkaido, 050-0083, Japan

    Shouko Shimizu

Authors
  1. Mitsuru Mori
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  2. Tomoyo Sato
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  3. Hideki Yoshida
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  4. Yuichi Ohira
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Correspondence to Mitsuru Mori.

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Mori, M., Sato, T., Yoshida, H. et al. Association of beer consumption with arsenic concentration in urine: a result from a cross-sectional study of the general Japanese population. Environ Health Prev Med 21, 327–333 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12199-016-0533-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12199-016-0533-3

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