Ethnic, geographic and dietary differences in arsenic exposure in the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA)

Abstract

Differences in residential location as well as race/ethnicity and dietary habits may result in differences in inorganic arsenic (iAs) exposure. We investigated the association of exposure to iAs with race/ethnicity, geography and dietary intake in a random sample of 310 White, Black, Hispanic and Chinese adults in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis from 6 US cities with inorganic and methylated arsenic (ΣAs) measured in urine. Dietary intake was assessed by food frequency questionnaire. Chinese and Hispanic race/ethnicity was associated with 82% (95% CI: 46%, 126%) and 37% (95% CI: 10%, 70%) higher urine arsenic concentrations, respectively, compared to White participants. No differences were observed for Black participants compared to Whites. Urine arsenic concentrations were higher for participants in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York compared to other sites. Participants that ate rice ≥2 times/week had 31% higher urine arsenic compared to those that rarely/never consumed rice. Participants that drank wine ≥2 times/week had 23% higher urine arsenic compared to rare/never wine drinkers. Intake of poultry or non-rice grains was not associated with urinary arsenic concentrations. At the low-moderate levels typical of the US population, exposure to iAs differed by race/ethnicity, geographic location and frequency of rice and wine intake.

Urinary Arsenic Species are Detectable in Urban Underserved Hispanic/Latino Populations: A Pilot Study from the Study of Latinos: Nutrition & Physical Activity Assessment Study (SOLNAS)

“…The IQRs of our observed ∑As level in samples from Visit 1 (4.3, 10.5 µg/L) overlap with the IQRs of ∑As levels in participants in MESA (1.7, 5.5 µg/L), although the median levels in this study were higher, potentially reflecting the higher rice intake in the SOLNAS population compared to MESA, which included White, Black, Hispanic/Latino, and Chinese subjects. In support of this hypothesis, higher urinary iAs levels in MESA participants of Hispanic/Latino and Asian ethnicity were observed compared to White and Black MESA participants [14]. Indeed, when comparing urinary As species levels of the present study versus those of Hispanic/Latino subjects in MESA (n = 75), the IQRs usually overlapped, although the median levels of each arsenic species were higher in our study ( Supplementary Table S3).…”

“…In addition, levels remained relatively stable between the baseline visit and the 6-12 month follow-up visit, supporting that the relative proportion of the species in the urine is an adequate biomarker of As intake and metabolism in HCHS/SOL. Our findings are consistent with urinary arsenic measurements from MESA, a population-based sample of 6814 men and women aged 45-84 from six US field centers (Winston-Salem, North Carolina; New York, New York; Baltimore, Maryland; St. Paul, Minnesota; Chicago, Illinois; and Los Angeles, California) [14]. The IQRs of our observed ∑As level in samples from Visit 1 (4.3, 10.5 µg/L) overlap with the IQRs of ∑As levels in participants in MESA (1.7, 5.5 µg/L), although the median levels in this study were higher, potentially reflecting the higher rice intake in the SOLNAS population compared to MESA, which included White, Black, Hispanic/Latino, and Chinese subjects.…”

“…Indeed, when comparing urinary As species levels of the present study versus those of Hispanic/Latino subjects in MESA (n = 75), the IQRs usually overlapped, although the median levels of each arsenic species were higher in our study ( Supplementary Table S3). Of note, Hispanics/Latinos from New York in the MESA study had higher arsenic exposure compared to Hispanics/Latinos from other cities in MESA [14]. Our study also observed the suggestion of higher levels of urinary As among New York participants.…”

“…The sum of urinary iAs and its metabolites, monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid arsenic (DMA), after removing the impact of seafood arsenicals, can be used to estimate iAs exposure in populations exposed primarily to arsenic through the diet [13]. Rice was a major source of exposure to As in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) study, and Hispanic/Latino and Asian Americans were exposed to higher iAs than Whites and Blacks [14]. Participants who ate rice ≥2 times/week had 77% higher urine arsenic compared to those that rarely/never consumed rice.…”

Maternal Arsenic Exposure and Gestational Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…A significant positive association was detected both in North American and in Asian studies, however, with a slightly higher risk estimate for studies based in Asia rather than in North America (OR = 1.37; 95% CI = 1.17, 1.62 and OR = 1.28; 95% CI = 1.07, 1.53, respectively). These findings could be explained by different ethnic, geographic, and dietary arsenic exposures among countries [ 60 ]. Moreover, the frequencies of different genetic polymorphisms of the main enzymes involved in the arsenic metabolism such as purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP), arsenic methyltransferase (AS3MT), and glutathione-S-transferases (GSTs) vary worldwide, depending on ethnicity/race [ 61 , 62 , 63 ].…”