The role of food in low‐level arsenic exposure among children from Montevideo, Uruguay

Abstract

Children´s exposure to inorganic arsenic (iAs) is a concern because of its effects on growth and development. Food maybe a source of arsenic exposure. We investigated the contribution of diet to iAs exposure and arsenic methylation in 6‐8 y old children (57.3% boys). First‐morning urine samples were analyzed for iAs, MMA, and DMA by HPLC with hydride generation and ICP‐MS. Caregivers provided two 24‐hr recalls of children's diets. Principal component analysis identified 6 dietary patterns: 1) high intake of processed meats and fats, 2) fruits/vegetables (FV) and white meats, 3) yogurt, 4) pasta and sauces, 5) grains, sweets and chips, and 6) fruit. Specific‐gravity adjusted total urinary arsenic concentration (U‐As) and metabolite fractions (%MMA, %DMA and %iAs) were modeled as dependent variables with dietary components as predictors, adjusted for sex, BMI, crowding and SES. 319 children had both urine samples and diet recalls. U‐As was low (median, range: 9.9, 2.8‐48.1 µg/L). Children scoring high on the pasta/sauces pattern had higher U‐As (β±SE: 9.0±2.4 p<0.01). Children consuming more FV and white meat had lower %iAs (‐0.8±0.2 p<0.01) and %MMA (‐0.3±0.1 p<0.1) but higher %DMA (1.1±0.3 p<0.01). Higher consumption of grains/sweets/chips was linked to lower %iAs (0.8±0.3 p<0.01) and higher %DMA (0.6±0.3 p<0.05). Food consumption patterns may contribute to inorganic As exposure in children and affect their ability to methylate iAs.