Dietary exposure to arsenic species in Japan in 2019 using a total diet study based on composite sample with market basket approach at the national level

Abstract

To estimate the mean dietary exposure to total As (tAs) and some arsenic species [inorganic arsenic (iAs), methylarsonic acid (MMAs) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMAs), and arsenobetaine (AsB)] across the entire Japanese population (≥1 year old), a national total diet study (TDS) based on composite sample with a market-basket approach was conducted in Japan from 10 regions throughout Japan in 2019. Mean dietary exposure to iAs of 0.251 μg kg−1 day−1 showed a slightly lower value compared to the health-based guideline value of 0.30 μg kg−1 day−1. The calculated margin of exposure of 1.2–31.9 were lower or similar to the uncertainty factors of 30. Therefore, the possibility of a risk to Japanese people cannot be excluded. This study indicated that consumption of rice and rice products contributed to 64 % of the dietary exposure to iAs. Furthermore, results showed that dietary exposure to tAs had been increasing gradually since 2004, while that to iAs remained steady since 2014. These data indicate the importance of continuing to survey the dietary exposure to total As and As species.