Rice consumption contributes to arsenic exposure in US women

Emerging data indicate that rice consumption may lead to potentially harmful arsenic exposure. However, few human data are available, and virtually none exist for vulnerable periods such as pregnancy. Here we document a positive association between rice consumption and urinary arsenic excretion, a b...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 108; no. 51; pp. 20656 - 20660
Main Authors Gilbert-Diamond, Diane, Cottingham, Kathryn L, Gruber, Joann F, Punshon, Tracy, Sayarath, Vicki, Gandolfi, A. Jay, Baker, Emily R, Jackson, Brian P, Folt, Carol L, Karagas, Margaret R
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States National Academy of Sciences 20.12.2011
National Acad Sciences
Subjects
Adolescent
Adult
Arsenic
Arsenic - toxicity
Arsenic - urine
Asian Americans
Biological Sciences
biomarkers
Biomarkers - urine
cacodylic acid
Chemical hazards
Creatinine - urine
Diet
Environmental Exposure
excretion
Female
fish
Food
Food Contamination
Human exposure
Humans
Linear Models
Middle Aged
New Hampshire
Oryza
Potable water
Pregnancy
pregnant women
Prenatal Care
Rice
seafoods
Social Sciences
Speciation
Tap water
United States
Urine
Water consumption
Water samples
Women
United States
New Hampshire
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Summary:Emerging data indicate that rice consumption may lead to potentially harmful arsenic exposure. However, few human data are available, and virtually none exist for vulnerable periods such as pregnancy. Here we document a positive association between rice consumption and urinary arsenic excretion, a biomarker of recent arsenic exposure, in 229 pregnant women. At a 6-mo prenatal visit, we collected a urine sample and 3-d dietary record for water, fish/seafood, and rice. We also tested women's home tap water for arsenic, which we combined with tap water consumption to estimate arsenic exposure through water. Women who reported rice intake (n = 73) consumed a median of 28.3 g/d, which is ∼0.5 cup of cooked rice each day. In general linear models adjusted for age and urinary dilution, both rice consumption (g, dry mass/d) and arsenic exposure through water (μg/d) were significantly associated with natural log-transformed total urinary arsenic (Formula , Formula , both P < 0.0001), as well as inorganic arsenic, monomethylarsonic acid, and dimethylarsinic acid (each P < 0.005). Based on total arsenic, consumption of 0.56 cup/d of cooked rice was comparable to drinking 1 L/d of 10 μg As/L water, the current US maximum contaminant limit. US rice consumption varies, averaging ∼0.5 cup/d, with Asian Americans consuming an average of >2 cups/d. Rice arsenic content and speciation also vary, with some strains predominated by dimethylarsinic acid, particularly those grown in the United States. Our findings along with others indicate that rice consumption should be considered when designing arsenic reduction strategies in the United States.
Bibliography:Author contributions: K.L.C., T.P., C.L.F., and M.R.K. designed research; V.S., A.J.G., E.R.B., B.P.J., and M.R.K. performed research; D.G.-D., K.L.C., J.F.G., and M.R.K. analyzed data; and D.G.-D., K.L.C., J.F.G., T.P., and M.R.K. wrote the paper.
Edited by Jerome Nriagu, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, and accepted by the Editorial Board October 17, 2011 (received for review June 7, 2011)
1D.G.-D. and K.L.C. contributed equally to this work.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.1109127108