In Vivo Percutaneous Absorption of Arsenic from Waterand CCA-Treated Wood Residue

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the dermal absorption of arsenic from residues present on the surface of wood preserved with chromated copper arsenate (CCA). The research reported herein used methods parallel to those of earlier research on the dermal absorption of radiolabeled arsenic (R. C. Wester et al., 1993, Fund. Appl. Toxicol. 20, 336-340), with modifications to allow use of environmental matrices that are not radiolabeled. These modifications include the surface area of application and dietary intake of arsenic, thus maximizing the potential for detection of dermally absorbed arsenic in exposed animals above diet-associated background levels of exposure. Two forms of arsenic were administered in this work. The first, arsenic in solution, was applied to the skin of monkeys to calibrate the model against prior absorption research and to serve as the basis of comparison for absorption of arsenic from CCA-treated wood residues. The second substrate was residue that resides on the surface of CCA-treated wood. Results from this research indicate that this study methodology can be used to evaluate dermally absorbed arsenic without the use of a radiolabel. Urinary excretion of arsenic above background levels can be measured following application of soluble arsenic, and absorption rates (0.6-4.4% absorption) are consistent with prior research using the more sensitive, radiolabeled technique. Additionally, the results show that arsenic is poorly absorbed from CCA-treated wood residues (i.e., does not result in urinary arsenic excretion above background levels).

Soil arsenic surveys of New Orleans: localized hazards in children’s play areas

“…Woodchips are commonly used as a cushion against falls, scrapes, and bruises by children playing on hard soil of school playgrounds (National Safety Council). Arsenic exposure by direct absorption through the skin does not seem to significantly relate to exposure response as measured by increased As in urine (Wester et al 2004). However, ingestion of As by licking the hands or the wood chips themselves as a result of the ubiquitous hand-to-mouth behavior displayed by children is a significant route of exposure (Shalat et al 2006;Ljung et al 2006).…”

“…Exposure occurs during construction by sawing or sanding and dismantling CCA-treated wood (US EPA 2008). Several studies have described the potential exposure hazards that CCA-treated wood may present directly or through a pathway of soil and water during the useful service or after disposal of the treated wood (Barraj et al 2007;Jartun et al 2003;Khan et al 2006a, b;Solo-Gabriel and Townsend 1999;Ursitti et al 2004;Wester et al 2004). CCA wood has also been inadvertently recycled as mulch or as landscape timbers in gardens where it contaminates soil and vegetables, or as firewood, which releases Cr, Cu, and As to the air, water and soil (McMahon et al 1986;Solo-Gabriel et al 2001;Stehouwer 2001;Townsend et al 2003).…”

“…The exposure risk by children to CCA-treated wood usually focuses on their hand contact with structures such as play equipment, decks, fences, and landscape timbers (Barraj et al 2007;Wester et al 2004;Shalat et al 2006). One unexpected finding in New Orleans was CCA-treated woodchips on playgrounds intended for children (Table 6).…”

Toxicology and Epidemiology of Arsenic and its Compounds

“…Wester et al (1993) also reported that using human skin, 2 % was absorbed at the low dose from water and 1 % from soil (absorption based on combined arsenic in receptor fluid plus skin) over a 24-hour period. Utilizing comparable methods, Wester et al (2004) concluded that absorption of inorganic arsenic from residue of CCA-treated wood is also low (0.04 %). Recent studies utilizing soils and the rhesus monkey as the animal model and similar methods indicate that absorption is in the range of 0.5-1 % for most soils compared to 5 % for soluble arsenic in aqueous solution (Lowney et al, 2007).…”

Factors impacting on the excess arseniasis prevalence due to indoor combustion of high arsenic coal in a hyperendemic village

“…The exposure in the endemic villages was given via a multiplex route, consisting of inhalation (Smith et al 2009;Pal et al 2007) of As-polluted indoor air, ingestion of As-contaminated food and, also possible, of direct skin penetration (Wester et al 2004;Lowney et al 2007). However, since the 1980s, when endemic of arseniasis was first found in the prefecture, the total As concentration in drinking water sources in the area tested have never been reported to exceed the level Chinese National Standards (GB) requires.…”