Arsenic intake via water and food by a population living in an arsenic-affected area of Bangladesh

Abstract

13 14More and more people in Bangladesh have recently become aware of the risk of drinking 15 arsenic-contaminated groundwater, and have been trying to obtain drinking water from less 16 arsenic-contaminated sources. In this study, arsenic intakes of 18 families living in one block of a rural 17 village in an arsenic-affected district of Bangladesh were evaluated to investigate their actual arsenic 18 intake via food, including from cooking water, and to estimate the contribution of each food category 19 and of drinking water to the total arsenic intake. Water consumption rates were estimated by the 20 self-reporting method. The mean drinking water intake was estimated as about 3 L/d without gender 21 difference. Arsenic intakes from food were evaluated by the duplicate portion sampling method. The 22 duplicated foods from each family were divided into four categories (cooked rice, solid food, cereals 23 for breakfast, and liquid food), and the arsenic concentrations of each food category and of the 24 drinking water were measured. The mean arsenic intake from water and food by male subjects was 25 0.18 ± 0.13 (n = 12) and that by female subjects was 0.096 ± 0.007 mg/d (n = 6), and the range for all 26 18 respondents was 0.043-0.49 mg/d. The average contributions to the total arsenic intake were, from 27 drinking water, 13%; liquid food, 4.4%; cooked rice, 56%; solid food, 11%; and cereals, 16%. Arsenic 28 intake via drinking water was not high despite the highly contaminated groundwater in the survey area 29 because many families had changed their drinking water sources to less contaminated ones. Instead, 30 cooked rice contributed most to the daily arsenic intake. Use of contaminated water for cooking by 31 several families was suspected based on comparisons of arsenic concentrations between drinking 32 water and liquid food, and between rice before and after cooking. Detailed investigation suggested that 33 six households used contaminated water for cooking but not drinking, leading to an increase of arsenic 34 intake via arsenic-contaminated cooking water. 35 36 2

Arsenic contamination in groundwater and its effects on adolescent intelligence and social competence in Bangladesh with special reference to daily drinking/cooking water intake

“…A previous study in children older than 10 years old reported that the daily water intake via direct drinking on an average day was 2.7 L/day (1.7-3.3 L/day) and 2 L/day (1.2-2.7 L/ day) for male and female children, respectively [15]. Moreover, according to some previous studies, the contribution of raw food to As exposure based on daily intake is minor compared with the amount from drinking water.…”

Environmental and Genetic Control of Arsenic Accumulation and Speciation in Rice Grain: Comparing a Range of Common Cultivars Grown in Contaminated Sites Across Bangladesh, China, and India

“…The grain samples were dehusked, powderized, and 0.2 g weighed into a 50 mL polyethylene centrifuge tube. Samples were extracted with 1% HNO 3 …”

Arsenic contamination of natural waters in San Juan and La Pampa, Argentina

“…Arsenic exposure through food poses a substantial risk to humans in certain parts of the world, particularly in Asia from the consumption of staple foods such as rice and vegetables, which have been irrigated with As-rich groundwater (Meharg et al 2009;Mondal and Polya 2008;Kile et al 2007;Smith et al 2006). However, drinking water is seen to pose the most significant risk to human health in Argentina, primarily through consumption and cooking, this is due to the various potential sources of arsenic present in the region, such as in groundwater and surface water (Nguyen et al 2009;Asante et al 2007;Ning et al 2007;Ohno et al 2007). …”