Bae H-S, Kang I-G, Lee S-G, Eom S-Y, Kim Y-D, Oh S-Y, Kwon H-J, Park K-S, Kim H, Choi B-S, Yu I-J, Park J D
1 Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea.
2 Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea.
Hum Exp Toxicol. 2017 May;36(5):451-460. doi: 10.1177/0960327116665673. Epub 2016 Sep 5.
Arsenic (As) is widely distributed in the environment, and humans can be exposed to As from various sources such as air, water, soil, and food. This study was performed to evaluate the As exposure levels in Korean adults by measuring total As in urine and its relation with the consumption of seafood, a favorite food in Korea. A total of 2077 adults were the study subjects; they ranged in age from 19 to 83, and they were recruited by probability sampling stratified by area, sex, and age. None of the subjects had been exposed to As occupationally. We collected information about the demographic characteristics, lifestyles, and food consumption of study subjects using a questionnaire and followed urine sampling. Diet was assessed in individual interviews using the 24-h recall method. Total As in urine was analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (PerkinElmer NEXION 300S; Concord, Ontario, Canada). The geometric mean concentration of total As in urine was observed to be 97.6 µg/L and was higher in males (103.9 µg/L) than in females (93.0 µg/L). Total As levels in urine were affected by sex, age, seafood intake, and geographic location. In this study, total As in urine was positively correlated with fish and shellfish consumption, and was mainly determined by As intake through fish and shellfish/grains/flavors. These findings suggest that seafood consumption might be a major contributor to urinary As levels in Korean adults.
砷（As）在环境中广泛分布，人类可通过空气、水、土壤和食物等多种来源接触到砷。本研究旨在通过测量尿液中的总砷及其与韩国人喜爱的食物——海鲜消费的关系，评估韩国成年人的砷暴露水平。共有2077名成年人作为研究对象；他们的年龄在19岁至83岁之间，通过按地区、性别和年龄分层的概率抽样进行招募。所有受试者均无职业性砷暴露史。我们通过问卷调查收集了研究对象的人口统计学特征、生活方式和食物消费信息，并随后进行了尿液采样。饮食情况通过24小时回忆法在个体访谈中进行评估。尿液中的总砷采用电感耦合等离子体质谱法（珀金埃尔默NEXION 300S；加拿大安大略省康科德）进行分析。观察到尿液中总砷的几何平均浓度为97.6微克/升，男性（103.9微克/升）高于女性（93.0微克/升）。尿液中的总砷水平受性别、年龄、海鲜摄入量和地理位置的影响。在本研究中，尿液中的总砷与鱼类和贝类消费呈正相关，并且主要由通过鱼类和贝类/谷物/调味品摄入的砷所决定。这些发现表明，食用海鲜可能是韩国成年人尿液中砷水平的主要贡献因素。
