Abstract
• Seafood is the main source of arsenic exposure in infants in Xiamen • The As transformation and methylation ability of infants is poor • The reference value for urinary As in infants in Xiamen is 962.35 μg/gCr • Trivalent inorganic As could be used as a key indicator of As exposure in infants • iAs III +DMA V +iAs V can be used to evaluate combined toxicities of As species in infants A dearth of knowledge regarding toxicity markers of Arsenic (As) exposure in infants exists. Thus, the study aimed to identify the reference value for the total As content in urine and the toxicity markers of As exposure and to analyze the factors influencing urinary As (UAs) levels in infants. In total, 895 urine samples were collected from infants in Xiamen, China and analyzed for total UAs using inductively coupled plasma coupled with mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Ninety-four of the samples were randomly selected for the analysis of As species using ICP-MS. The relationship of lifestyle and diet with UAs levels was analyzed by ordered logistic regression analysis. The total UAs level was found to be 42.60±148.48 μg/gCr, and the 95% upper limit was 962.35 μg/gCr. The unmethylated proportion of UAs was 38.57% (24.67–64.95%). The combined toxicity of different As species multiplied by the corresponding population detection rate was the highest for iAs Ⅲ +DMA V +iAs Ⅴ . The total UAs was positively associated with age in 6–36-month-old infants; The intakes of breast milk, seafood, meat, vegetable, and canned beverage were identified as factors contributing to elevated total UAs. We concluded that the reference value for UAs in infants in Xiamen was 962.35 μg/gCr. iAs Ⅲ +DMA V +iAs Ⅴ was a better combination to evaluate the combined effects of As exposure in infants. The intake of As-contaminated food by mothers and infants, which might be the main cause of high UAs in infants.
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