Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Inorganic Arsenic in the Japanese Diet: Daily Intake and Source

  • Published:
Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The concentrations of arsenic (As) species in 19 food composites prepared from 159 food items purchased in Shizuoka city, Japan, were determined (1) to estimate total daily intake of inorganic As (InAs) and some organic As species and (2) to determine food contributing to total daily InAs intake. As analysis included extraction of As species with a synthetic gastric juice (0.07 mol/L HCl + 0.01 % pepsin) from food composite and high-performance liquid chromatography–high efficiency photo-oxidation–hydride generation–inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. InAs was detected in 9 of 19 food composites at a concentration of 0.423–450 ng As/g fresh-weight. Daily intake of InAs from cereals was greatest (13 μg/person/day) followed by algae (5.7 μg/person/day), and the intake from the two categories constituted 90 % of the total daily InAs intake of adults (21 μg/person/day on a bioaccessible-fraction basis and 24 μg/person/day on a content basis). Analysis of individual food items showed that rice and hijiki contributed virtually 100 % of InAs from cereals and algae, respectively. The present survey indicated that InAs from rice and hijiki consumption contributed to total daily InAs intake and consequently to significant cancer risk of the general Japanese population. Daily intake of some organic forms of As and their contributing food categories was also estimated.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Almela C, Algora S, Benito V, Clemente MJ, Devesa V, Súñer MA et al (2002) Heavy metal, total arsenic, and inorganic arsenic contents of algae food products. J Agric Food Chem 50:918–923

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Canada Health (2006) Guidelines for Canadian drinking water quality: guideline technical documents. Arsenic. Water Quality and Health Bureau, Ottawa

    Google Scholar 

  • Cascio C, Raab A, Jenkins RO, Feldmann J, Meharg AA, Haris PI (2011) The impact of a rice based diet on urinary arsenic. J Environ Monit 13:257–265

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Conklin SD, Chen PE (2012) Quantitation of four arsenic species in fruit juices by ion-chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Food Addit Contam 29:1272–1279

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • European Food Safety Authority (2009) Panel on contaminants in the food chain. Scientific opinion on arsenic. In: Food. vol. 7. pp. 1351

  • Fontcuberta M, Calderon J, Villalbí JR, Centrich F, Portaña S, Espelt AA et al (2011) Total and inorganic arsenic in marketed food and associated health risks for the Catalan (Spain) population. J Agric Food Chem 59:10013–10022

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Food Safety Agency (2005) Arsenic in fish and shellfish. http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/fsis8205.pdf#search='FSA+Arsenic+speciation+stability+trial'. Accessed 27 June 2013

  • Food Safety Commission of Japan (2012) FSCJ strategic implementation plan for fiscal year 2012. http://www.fsc.go.jp/english/plan_2012/strategic_implementation_plan_e1.pdf. Accessed 14 March 2013

  • Hamano-Nagaoka M, Hanaoka K, Usui M, Nishimura T, Maitani T (2008) Nitric acid-based partial-digestion method for selective determination of inorganic arsenic in hijiki and application to soaked hijiki. Shokuhin Eiseigaku Zasshi 49:88–94

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hanaoka K, Yosida K, Tamano M, Kuroiwa T, Kaise T, Maeda S (2001) Arsenic in the prepared edible brown alga hijiki, Hizikia fusiforme. Appl Organomet Chem 15:561–565

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ichikawa S, Kamoshida M, Hanaoka K, Hamano M, Maitani T, Kaise T (2006) Decrease of arsenic in edible brown algae Hijikia fusiforme by the cooking process. Appl Organomet Chem 20:585–590

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • International Agency for Cancer Research (2009) IARC monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans. A review of human carcinogens. Part C: arsenic, metals, fibres, and dusts. IARC, Lyon

    Google Scholar 

  • Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (2010). 72nd meeting. Evaluation of certain contaminants in food. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and World Health Organization, Rome

  • Larsen EH, Hansen M, Gőssler W (1998) Speciation and health risk considerations of arsenic in the edible mushroom Laccaria amethystina collected from contaminated and uncontaminated locations. Appl Organomet Chem 12:285–291

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li G, Sun G-X, Williams PN, Nunesm L, Zhum Y-G (2011) Inorganic arsenic in Chinese food and its cancer risk. Environ Int 37:1219–1225

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan (2007) National health and nutrition examination survey, Tokai district block, special aggregate calculation in 2006 [in Japanese]. MHLW, Tokyo

  • Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan (2011) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2010. http://www.mhlw.go.jp/bunya/kenkou/eiyou/dl/h22-houkoku-01.pdf (in Japanese). Accessed 14 March 2013

  • Ministry of the Environmental of Japan (2007) The detailed environmental survey (market basket) in 2006. http://www.env.go.jp/chemi/kurohon/2007/sokutei/pdf/02_05_27.pdf (in Japanese). Accessed 14 March 2013

  • Mohri T, Hisanaga A, Ishinishi N (1990) Arsenic intake and excretion by Japanese adults: a 7-day duplicate diet study. Food Chem Toxicol 28:521–529

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nakamura Y, Narukawa T, Yoshinaga J (2008) Cancer risk to Japanese population from the consumption of inorganic arsenic in cooked hijiki. J Agric Food Chem 56:2536–2540

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nakazato T, Tao H (2006) A high-efficiency photooxidation reactor for speciation of organic arsenicals by liquid chromatography-hydride generation-ICPMS. Anal Chem 78:1665–1672

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Narukawa T, Hioki A, Chiba K (2012) Speciation and monitoring test for inorganic arsenic in white rice flour. J Agric Food Chem 60:1122–1127

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nishimura T, Hamano-Nagaoka M, Sakakibara N, Abe T, Maekawa Y, Maitani T (2010) Determination method for total arsenic and partial-digestion method with nitric acid for inorganic arsenic speciation in several varieties of rice. Shokuhin Eiseigaku Zasshi 51:178–181

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Oguri T, Yoshinaga J, Tao H, Nakazato T (2011) Determination of inorganic arsenic in a certified reference material of total diet matrix [in Japanese with English abstract]. Bunseki Kagaku 60:653–658

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Oguri T, Yoshinaga J, Tao H, Nakazato T (2012) Daily intake of inorganic arsenic of Japanese subjects. Food Chem Toxicol 50:2663–2667

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pearson GF, Greenway GM, Brima EI, Haris PI (2007) Rapid arsenic speciation using ion pair LC-ICPMS with a monolithic silica column reveals increased urinary DMA excretion after ingestion of rice. J Anal At Spectrom 22:361–369

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rose M, Lewis J, Langford N, Baxter M, Origgi S, Barber M et al (2007) Arsenic in seaweed—Forms, concentration and dietary exposure. Food Chem Toxicol 45:1263–1267

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Signes-Pastor A, Deacon C, Jenkins RO, Haris PI, Carbonell-Barrachina ÁA, Meharg AA (2009) Arsenic speciation in Japanese rice drinks and condiments. J Environ Monit 11:1930–1934

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sirot V, Guérin T, Volatier J-L, Leblanc J-C (2009) Dietary exposure and biomarkers of arsenic in consumers of fish and shellfish from France. Sci Total Environ 407:1875–1885

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sloth JJ, Cordeiro F, Rasmussen RR, Hedegaard RV, Emteborg H, Verbist I, et al. (2011) IMEP-32: determination of inorganic arsenic in animal feed of marine origin. A Collaborative Trial Report. JRC-IRMM, European Commission, Geel

  • Sun G-X, Williams PN, Zhu Y-Z, Deacon C, Carey A-M, Raab A et al (2009) Survey of arsenic and its speciation in rice products such as breakfast cereals, rice crackers and Japanese rice condiments. Environ Int 35:473–475

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sun G-X, Van de Wiele T, Alava P, Tack F, Du Laing G (2012) Arsenic in cooked rice: effect of chemical, enzymatic and microbial processes on bioaccessibility and speciation in the human gastrointestinal tract. Environ Pollut 162:241–246

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Súñer MA, Devesa V, Clemente MJ, Vélez D, Montoro R, Urieta I et al (2002) Organoarsenical species contents in fresh and processed seafood products. J Agric Food Chem 50:924–932

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tao SSH, Bolger PM (1999) Dietary arsenic intakes in the United States: FDA Total Diet Study, September 1991–December 1996. Food Addit Contam 16:465–472

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Torres-Escribano S, Leal M, Vélez D, Montoro R (2008) Total and inorganic arsenic concentrations in rice sold in Spain, effect of cooking, and risk assessments. Environ Sci Technol 42:3867–3872

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • United States Environmental Protection Agency (1998) Integrated risk information system (IRIS), arsenic, inorganic. http://www.epa.gov/iris/subst/0278.htm. Accessed 13 March 2013

  • Wanibuchi H, Salim EI, Kinoshita A, Shen J, Wei M, Morimura K et al (2004) Understanding arsenic carcinogenicity by the use of animal models. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 198:366–376

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • WHO/FAO (2005) Dietary exposure assessment of chemicals in food: report of a joint FAO/WHO consultation, Annapolis, MD. http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2008/9789241597470_eng.pdf. Accessed 14 March 2013

  • Wong WWK, Chung SWC, Chan BTP, Ho YY, Xiao Y (2013) Dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic of the Hong Kong population: results of the first Hong Kong Total Diet Study. Food Chem Toxicol 51:379–385

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yamauchi H, Takahashi K, Mashiko M, Saitoh J, Yamamura Y (1992) Intake of different chemical species of dietary arsenic by the Japanese and their blood and urinary arsenic levels. Appl Organomet Chem 6:383–388

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yost LJ, Schoof RA, Aucoin R (1998) Intake of inorganic arsenic in the North American diet. Hum Ecol Risk Assess 4:37–152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zavala YJ, Gerads R, Gürleyük H, Duxbury JM (2008) Arsenic in rice: II. Arsenic speciation in USA grain and implications for human health. Environ Sci Technol 42:3861–3866

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Studies, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8563, Japan

    Tomoko Oguri & Jun Yoshinaga

  2. National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8563, Japan

    Hiroaki Tao & Tetsuya Nakazato

Authors
  1. Tomoko Oguri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jun Yoshinaga
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hiroaki Tao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Tetsuya Nakazato
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jun Yoshinaga.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Oguri, T., Yoshinaga, J., Tao, H. et al. Inorganic Arsenic in the Japanese Diet: Daily Intake and Source. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 66, 100–112 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-013-9947-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-013-9947-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation