Inorganic Arsenic Species Research Articles

Chronic dietary exposure to total arsenic, inorganic arsenic and water-soluble organic arsenic species based on results of the first German total diet study

For risk assessment purposes, the dietary exposure to total arsenic and inorganic arsenic was estimated within the first German total diet study (BfR MEAL Study) for the whole population in Germany. Therefore, occurrence data of 356 different foods from the BfR MEAL Study were combined with consumption data from German nutrition surveys. Due to the different toxicological potentials of other water-soluble organic arsenic species present in rice-based foods, fish and seafood, dietary exposure to dimethylarsinic acid, monomethylarsonic acid and arsenobetaine was assessed in consumers in Germany through such foods for the first time. Related to the bodyweight, dietary exposure to total arsenic and inorganic arsenic in infants and young children (0.5–<5 years) were higher than in adolescents/adults (≥14 years). The highest median exposure estimates to inorganic arsenic resulted for the age group of infants from 0.5 to <1 year under modified lower bound conditions and for young children from 1 to <2 years under upper bound conditions (0.17 μg kg−1 bodyweight day−1–0.24 μg kg−1 bodyweight day−1 and 0.26 μg kg−1 bodyweight day−1–0.34 μg kg−1 bodyweight day−1, respectively). ‘Grains and grain-based products’ (especially rice) were identified as the main contributors for dietary exposure to total arsenic and inorganic arsenic for all age classes. Especially, for infants and young children, high consumption of rice-based foods and fish fingers is driving the dietary exposure to dimethylarsinic acid. The dietary exposure calculations indicate that a further reduction of dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic and further investigations to water-soluble organic arsenic species are necessary.

Elevated Urbanization-Driven Plant Accumulation of Metal(loid)s Including Arsenic Species and Assessment of the Kłodnica River Sediment Contamination

The impact of water and bottom sediment pollution of a river subjected to a strong industrial anthropogenic pressure of metal(loid) (including arsenic and its species) accumulation in riverbank plants such as Solidago virgaurea L., Phragmites L. and Urtica dioica L. was investigated. The high-performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS) technique was used to study organic and inorganic arsenic species in selected plants and their response to heavy metal and arsenic contamination. The modified BCR extraction results showed that arsenic was mainly bound to the mobile reducible and organic-sulfide fractions in the Kłodnica River bottom sediments. Research has shown that the bottom sediments of the Kłodnica River are contaminated with metals, including Pb, Zn, Ni, As, and among arsenic species, the As(V) form dominated quantitatively, with its highest concentration being 49.3 mg kg−1 and the organic species occurred extremely rarely. The highest concentration of arsenic, among the tested plants, occurred in Phragmites communis L. The evaluation of the bottom sediment pollution was performed using Sb/As factor, geoaccumulation index (Igeo), enrichment factor (EF) and pollution load index (PLI). The ability of the plant to assimilate metals from the substrate was studied by calculation of the bioaccumulation factor (BAF). Values of the Igeo change in a wide range from class 1 (uncontaminated to moderately polluted for Cu and Zn) at the first sampling point, to 5 (highly to extremely polluted for Ba and Fe) at the K4 sampling point. The Igeo results show an increase in the contamination with elements toward the runoff of the Kłodnica River.

Short-term arsenic mobilization, labilization, and microbiological aspects after gasoline and diesel addition in tropical soils.

The effect of the presence of gasoline and diesel on the speciation and mobility of inorganic arsenic species in tropical topsoils was investigated. Topsoil samples (n = 25) were contaminated with gasoline and diesel (500mgkg-1) in laboratory and were incubated under unsaturated conditions and regular aeration for 21days. Speciation analysis and chemical fractionation were performed in the pore water from control, gasoline, and diesel-contaminated soil samples. Arsenic concentrations were compared to microbiological parameters (microbial metabolic quotient and soil basal breathing) and the presence of ArsM-harboring bacteria. The spike of gasoline and diesel to the topsoils increased pore water As3+ (H3AsO3) concentration. Arsenic mobilization was lower compared to previously reported data for other sources of organic matter (biochar, litter, and a mixture of sphagnum peat moss and composted poultry manure). However, gasoline or diesel addition mobilized As fractions that were adsorbed to the solid phase, in approximately 60% of the soils. Methylation presented an important role in the As3+ regulation in control soils, which was no longer observed after gasoline or diesel addition. The quantification of the labile fractions sampled by the diffusive gradients in thin films technique showed that the increased As concentration in the gasoline or diesel-contaminated soils mostly included inert species. Dissolved organic carbon content seems to be an important control mechanism of the labile As concentration. The increase in As mobility seems to pose a more concerning scenario due to As leaching than to plant uptake.

Effects of inorganic arsenic species on the antioxidant enzyme system of the Amazon Sword Plant (Echinodorus amazonicus Rataj).

This study aims to examine the effects of Arsenite (As+3) and Arsenate (As+5) on the aquatic macrophyte Amazon Sword Plant (Echinodorus amazonicus Rataj). To this aim, different concentrations of As+3 and As+5 (0, 6, 18 and 54 μM) were analyzed. At the end of the trail, photosynthetic pigment contents, total protein amounts, the enzymatic antioxidants superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POX) and catalase (CAT) activities and the amount of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the leaf samples of E. amazonicus were investigated. The antioxidant enzyme activities increased at low concentrations (32.13% for SOD, 185% for CAT and 201.5% for POX in the groups of 6 μM As+5), but decreased at high concentrations (64.98% for SOD, 21.64% for CAT and 21.29% for POX in the groups of 54 μM As+3). MDA increased in all the treatment groups. The highest MDA contents were observed as 96% for 54 μM As+3 and 71.50% for 54 μM As+5. Photosynthetic pigment contents and the amount of protein were decreased with higher concentrations. The most significant decreases in protein content were 65% for 54 μM As+3 and 34.9% for 54 μM As+5. As a result, the toxicity of As+3 was higher and the toxic effect increased at higher concentrations.

A Highly Selective and Sensitive Fluorescent Sensor Based on Molecularly Imprinted Polymer-Functionalized Mn-Doped ZnS Quantum Dots for Detection of Roxarsone in Feeds.

Roxarsone (ROX) as an organoarsenic feed additive has been widely used in livestock breeding and poultry industry, but ROX can degrade into highly toxic inorganic arsenic species in natural environments to threaten to the environment and human health. Therefore, there is a considerable interest in developing convenient, selective and sensitive methods for the detection of ROX in livestock breeding and poultry industry. In this work, a fluorescent molecularly imprinted polymer (MIPs) probe based on amino-modified Mn-ZnS quantum dots (QDs) has been developed by sol–gel polymerization for specific recognition of ROX. The synthesized MIPs-coated Mn-ZnS QDs (MIPs@Mn-ZnS QDs) have highly selective recognition sites to ROX because there are multi-interactions among the template ROX, functional monomer phenyltrimethoxysilane and the amino-functionalized QDs such as the π–π conjugating effect, hydrogen bonds. Under the optimal conditions, an obvious fluorescence quenching was observed when ROX was added to the solution, and the quenching mechanism could be explained as the photo-induced electron transfer. The MIPs@Mn-ZnS QDs sensor exhibited sensitive response to ROX in the linear range from 3.75 10−8 M to 6.25 10−7 M (R2 = 0.9985) and the limit of detection down to 4.34 nM. Moreover, the fluorescence probe has been applied to the quantitative detection of ROX in feed samples, and the recovery was in the range of 91.9% to 108.0%. The work demonstrated that the prepared MIPs@Mn-ZnS QDs probe has a good potential for rapid and sensitive determination of ROX in complicated samples.

Preparation of novel bifunctionalized magnetic nanoparticles for sequential speciation analysis of inorganic arsenic

An amino- and mercapto-bifunctionalized magnetic nanocomposite (SMNPs-(NH2 + SH)) was synthesized by modification of silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles (SMNPs) via one-pot co-condensation of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) and 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS) for the first time. The bifunctional magnetic nanomaterial was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, X-ray photoelectric spectroscopy, elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis and vibrating sample magnetometry, etc. The prepared SMNPs-(NH2 + SH) nanocomposite was employed as magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) sorbent for speciation of inorganic arsenic without any pre-oxidation or pre-reduction process. Different optimal conditions for the MSPE including sample solution pH and volume, adsorbent amount, loading time, eluent composition and volume, and elution time were investigated systematically. As(V) and As(III) were adsorbed simultaneously at pH 4.0, and then desorbed sequentially by 3 % (v/v) HNO3 and 3 % (v/v) HNO3 with 4 % (m/v) mercaptosuccinic acid followed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis with the limits of detection of 15.2 and 24.5 ng/L respectively at an enrichment factor of 10 fold. The reliability of the stepwise speciation strategy based on SMNPs-(NH2 + SH) was validated by analyzing inorganic arsenic species in certified reference material of environmental water as well as mixed standard solutions of As(V) and As(III), and the results were in good accordance with the certified or standard values. The applicability of the SMNPs-(NH2 + SH)-MSPE-ICP-MS method for speciation analysis of inorganic arsenic was evaluated in spiked tap, rain, lake and river water samples at the recoveries of 92 %–102 % and 92 %–100 % with the relative standard deviations of 3.6 %–7.4 % and 2.3 %–8.2 % for As(V) and As(III) respectively. In consideration of the merits of single adsorbent, facile preparation, easy operation and no invasion to labile inorganic arsenic, the bifunctional material based MSPE protocol is attractive for speciation analysis of arsenic in real environmental samples.

Insight into UV-LED/PS/Fe(Ⅲ) and UV-LED/PMS/Fe(Ⅲ) for p-arsanilic acid degradation and simultaneous arsenate immobilization

As a feed additive, p-arsanilic acid (p-ASA) is hardly metabolized in animal bodies and is excreted chemically unchanged via feces and urine, which can be transformed into more toxic inorganic arsenic species and other organic by-products upon degradation in the aquatic environment. In this study, UV-LED/persulfate (PS)/Fe(Ⅲ) and UV-LED/peroxymonosulfate (PMS)/Fe(Ⅲ) processes were developed to remove p-ASA and immobilize the formed inorganic arsenic via tuning solution pH. UV-LED/PMS/Fe(Ⅲ) (90.8%) presented the best performance for p-ASA degradation at pH 3.0, and the p-ASA degradation in these processes both followed the pseudo-first-order kinetics. The ∙OH played the major role in UV-LED/PS/Fe(Ⅲ) and UV-LED/PMS/Fe(Ⅲ) systems. Solution pH greatly affected the p-ASA degradation and the maximum removal can be achieved at pH 3.0 due to the presence of more Fe(OH)(H2O)52+. The dosages of Fe(III) and PMS (PS), SO42− and HCO3− significantly influenced the performance of p-ASA oxidation, while HA, Cl− and NO3− slightly affected the p-ASA degradation. According to quantum chemical calculation, radical addition on the C atom in the C-As bond of p-ASA was corroborated to be the dominant reaction pathway by SO4∙− and ∙OH. Additionally, the reactive sites and reasonable degradation pathways of p-ASA were proposed based on DFT calculation and HPLC/MS analysis. The release of inorganic arsenic in both processes can be effectively immobilized and the toxicity of the reaction solution dramatically reduced by adjusting solution pH to 6.0. UV-LED/PMS/Fe(Ⅲ) process was found to be more cost-effective than UV-LED/PS/Fe(Ⅲ) process at the low oxidant dosages.

Absorption of three different forms of arsenic in water by three aquatic plants and their bioremediation potential

Arsenic (As) is a highly toxic carcinogen. Its pollution spreads to soil and water, posing a threat to the global environment, crop production and food safety. In this study, to explore the recovery potential of different aquatic plants to As polluted water, three submerged plants Hydrilla verticillata L., Ceratophyllum demersum L., and Potamogeton malaianus M. were took as material, the absorption and accumulation of arsenic was investigated. The experimental plants were grown in standard Hoagland solution containing 3 form of As: As(V), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) and As(III) at different concentrations for 10 days in a greenhouse, at 1.0 mg · L−1 for a time-course study to evaluate arsenic uptake by the tested plants at different times (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 days). The subcellular location and compartmentalization of As in plants were also studied in this study. The findings revealed that the biomass of the tested plants was drastically decreased when 3.0 and 5.0 mg · L−1 of As(III) and As(V) was applied. Aside from this, the biomass of studied plants was reduced more effectively by As(III) compared to As(V), and absorption decreased in As(III) &gt; DMA &gt; DMA manner. Arsenic absorption was high in all three plants but H. verticillata had a greater accumulation of arsenic than C. demersum and P. malaianus when exposed to the As(III), As(V), and DMA compounds. The inorganic arsenic species As(V) and As(III) were mostly detected in the cell wall and cytoplasm, while the organic species (DMA) were mostly identified in the cell wall. In a word, the aquatic macrophytes, particularly H. verticillata, aid in the phytoremediation of aquatic environments against both inorganic and organic As species. This study is expected to provide a reference for a phytoremediation method for removing As.

Transformation of arsenic species by diverse endophytic bacteria of rice roots

Rice growing in flooded paddy soil often accumulates considerable levels of inorganic and organic arsenic (As) species, which may cause toxicity to plants and/or pose a risk to human health. The bioavailability and toxicity of As in soil depends on its chemical species, which undergo multiple transformations driven primarily by soil microbes. However, the role of endophytes inside rice roots in As species transformation remains largely unknown. We quantified the abundances of microbial functional genes involved in As transformation in the endosphere and rhizosphere of rice roots growing in three paddy soils in a pot experiment. We also isolated 46 different bacterial endophytes and tested their abilities to transform various As species. The absolute abundances of the arsenate reductase gene arsC and the dissimilatory arsenate reductase gene arrA in the endosphere were comparable to those in the rhizosphere, whereas the absolute abundances of the arsenite methylation gene arsM and arsenite oxidation gene aioA in the endosphere were lower. After normalization based on the bacterial 16S rRNA gene, all four As transformation genes showed higher relative abundances in the endosphere than in the rhizosphere. Consistent with the functional gene data, all of the 30 aerobic endophytic isolates were able to reduce arsenate, but only 3 strains could oxidize arsenite. Among the 16 anaerobic endophytic isolates, 4 strains belonging to Desulfovibrio, Terrisporobacter or Clostridium could methylate arsenite and/or methylarsenite. Six strains of aerobic endophytes could demethylate methylarsenite, among which three strains also could reduce and demethylate methylarsenate. None of the isolates could demethylate dimethylarsenate. These results suggest that diverse endophytes living inside rice roots could participate in As species transformation and affect As accumulation and species distribution in rice plants.

Determination and speciation of trace inorganic arsenic species in water samples by using metal organic framework mixed-matrix membrane and EDXRF spectrometry

A facile method to selectively determine trace As(V) species in the existence of As(III) one in water samples was developed, which was based on the batch adsorption process by using a miniaturized MIL-101(Fe) mixed-matrix membrane (MOF-MMM) followed by a direct determination through energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometry. The quantitative adsorption of As(V) was achieved at pH (3–6) from 30 mL sample in 120 min of equilibrium time by employing the membrane with a monolayer adsorption capacity of Qo = 1.953 mg g−1. The direct determination of As(V) adsorbed on the membrane by EDXRF spectroscopy provided a method, not only easy-to-use and operable without elution stage, but also cost effective due to low gas consumption during the analysis. With a limit of detection of 0.094 μg L−1, analytical performance of the method, which was evaluated on fortified real water samples with three levels of As(V) (5, 10 and 50 μg L−1), demonstrated good recoveries in the range of 98(±3)-105(±10)%. Furthermore, the speciation of As(III) and As(V) in the fortified real samples containing other ionic species was also successfully achieved by described approach with characteristics of simple, cheap, viable and reproducible.

Speciation of inorganic arsenic in aqueous samples using a novel hydride generation microfluidic paper-based analytical device (µPAD)

The development of the first microfluidic paper-based analytical device (µPAD) for the speciation of inorganic arsenic in environmental aqueous samples as arsenite (As(III)) and arsenate (As(V)) which implements hydride generation on a paper platform is described. The newly developed µPAD has a 3D configuration and uses Au(III) chloride as the detection reagent. Sodium borohydride is used to generate arsine in the device’s sample zone by reducing As(III) in the presence of hydrochloric acid or both As(III) and As(V) (total inorganic As) in the presence of sulfuric acid. Arsine then diffuses across a hydrophobic porous polytetrafluoroethylene membrane into the device’s detection zone where it reduces Au(III) to Au nanoparticles. This results in a color change which can be related to the concentration of As(III) or total inorganic As (i.e., As(III) and As(V)) concentration. Under optimal conditions, the µPAD is characterized by a limit of detection of 0.43 mg L−1 for total inorganic As (As(III) + As(V)) and 0.41 mg L−1 for As(III) and a linear calibration range in both cases of 1.2–8.0 mg As L−1. The newly developed µPAD-based method was validated by applying it to groundwater and freshwater samples and comparing the results with those obtained by conventional atomic spectrometric techniques.Graphical abstract

Arsenic and Nutrient Composition Across Different Edible Seaweeds From Hawaii

ObjectivesSeaweed is used for various cultural, culinary, and medicinal purposes in Hawaii and has been consumed for generations around the world (i.e., the Pacific, Asia, and parts of Europe). In the US, seaweed is gaining popularity because of its reputation for being highly nutritional. However, some types of seaweed are known to accumulate heavy metals, including inorganic arsenic (iAs) species. While some seaweed species have been studied, there is still limited species-specific compositional data. The purpose of this study was to quantify arsenic and nutrient (i.e., macronutrient and mineral) levels in edible seaweeds.MethodsBrown algae (Sargassum aquifolium and Sargassum spp.), red algae (Gracilaria parvispora, Halymenia formosa, and Halymenia hawaiiana, and green algae (Ulva ohnoi) were analyzed using HPLC-ICP-MS for arsenic speciation. Proximate (protein, dietary fiber, ash, moisture, carbohydrate, crude fat, and crude protein) and mineral (P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, B) analyses were conducted. Values were expressed per freeze-dried weight (FDW) or fresh weight serving (FW) of seaweed.ResultsBrown algae had the highest concentration of total and iAs compared to all others. Statistical differences amongst macronutrients and minerals existed across seaweed species, with G. parvispora having higher Mn (∼510 µg/g FDW) and K (∼4.6 g/100g FDW) levels compared to all other samples (P < 0.05). Based on recommended nutritional daily values, G. parvispora (∼80 g FW) was high in Mn, H. formosa (∼100 g FW) was high in Fe, U. ohnoi (∼100 g FW) was high in Mg, and H. hawaiiana (∼100 g FW) was high in Mg, Fe, and Zn.ConclusionsOverall, these findings indicate significant differences in composition across seaweed species. As some seaweeds were excellent sources of essential nutrients while others were high in iAs, it is critical to continually expand compositional data to assess both nutritional adequacy and safety of diets.Funding SourcesUSDA-ARS, FDA.

Preclinical In Vitro Model to Assess the Changes in Permeability and Cytotoxicity of Polarized Intestinal Epithelial Cells during Exposure Mimicking Oral or Intravenous Routes: An Example of Arsenite Exposure.

The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is exposed to xenobiotics, including drugs, through both: local (oral) and systemic routes. Despite the advances in drug discovery and in vitro pre-clinical models, there is a lack of appropriate translational models to distinguish the impact of these routes of exposure. Changes in intestinal permeability has been observed in different gastrointestinal and systemic diseases. This study utilized one such xenobiotic, arsenic, to which more than 200 million people around the globe are exposed via their food, drinking water, work environment, soil, and air. The purpose of this study was to establish an in vitro model to mimic gastrointestinal tract exposure to xenobiotics via oral or intravenous routes. To achieve this, we compared the route (mimicking oral and intravenous exposure to GIT and the dose response (using threshold approach) of trivalent and pentavalent inorganic arsenic species on the permeability of in vitro cultured polarized T84 cells, an example of intestinal epithelial cells. Arsenic treatment to polarized T84 cells via the apical and basolateral compartment of the trans-well system reflected oral or intravenous routes of exposure in vivo, respectively. Sodium arsenite, sodium arsenate, dimethyl arsenic acid sodium salt (DMAV), and disodium methyl arsonate hydrate (MMAV) were assessed for their effects on intestinal permeability by measuring the change in trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) of T-84 cells. Polarized T-84 cells exposed to 12.8 µM of sodium arsenite from the basolateral side showed a marked reduction in TEER. Cytotoxicity of sodium arsenite, as measured by release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), was increased when cells were exposed via the basolateral side. The mRNA expression of genes related to cell junctions in T-84 cells was analyzed after exposure with sodium arsenite for 72 h. Changes in TEER correlated with mRNA expression of focal-adhesion-, tight-junction- and gap-junction-related genes (upregulation of Jam2, Itgb3 and Notch4 genes and downregulation of Cldn2, Cldn3, Gjb1, and Gjb2). Overall, exposure to sodium arsenite from the basolateral side was found to have a differential effect on monolayer permeability and on cell-junction-related genes as compared to apical exposure. Most importantly, this study established a preclinical human-relevant in vitro translational model to assess the changes in permeability and cytotoxicity during exposure, mimicking oral or intravenous routes.

The effect of electrocoagulation (EC) on total arsenic, arsenite (As3+) and arsenate (As5+) species removal from model groundwater investigating toxicity and sludge characteristic

This study showed that the model groundwater containing As3+ and As5+ species was successfully treated with electrocoagulation (EC) first time in the literature investigating toxicity reduction, inorganic arsenic species and detailed sludge characterization. The arsenic removal from model groundwater with 1000 µg/l total arsenic containing equal arsenite (As3+) and arsenate (As5+) concentration was examined by the EC treatment optimized with following parameters; current density (5.0, 7.5 and 10.0 mA/cm2) supporting sodium sulfate electrolyte amount (10, 20 and 30 mM Na2SO4) and initial water pH (3, 6 and 9). In EC treatment, the 99.87% arsenic removal was obtained with 10 mA/cm2, 10 mM Na2SO4 at pH 3 after 40 min supplying 1.44 μg/l effluent As concentration lower than the WHO limit for drinking water. Through transformation mechanisms of more toxic As3+ to less toxic and easily settled As5+ according to As speciation analysis, the toxicity of the model groundwater was successfully decreased in parallel with total arsenic, As3+ and As5+ removal during EC. The precipitated Al(OH)3 and Al2O3 coagulants were the main peaks in the FTIR-ATR spectrum as well as As(III)–O vibration observed between 717 and 721 cm−1 peaks and As(V)–O vibration dominated 899 and 972 cm−1 peaks were detected in the produced sludge after the EC. The SEM–EDS morphological analysis was demonstrated that the sludge was consisted of mostly amorphous structure aggregated size range of 200 μm–2 mm, relatively uniform cake including O, Al, As, Na, and S.

Combined effects of nucleotide-binding domain-like receptor protein 3 polymorphisms and environmental metals exposure on chronic kidney disease

Chronic inflammation is the cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The nucleotide-binding domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome plays a vital role in the inflammation process and is associated with the regulatory effects of NLRP3 gene polymorphisms. This study evaluated the association between NLRP3 gene polymorphisms and CKD, and further explored whether the association of environmental metals with CKD varied by the NLRP3 genotypes. A total of 218 CKD patients and 427 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were recruited in this clinic-based case–control study. Patients were identified as having CKD if their estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and stage 3–5 for at least 3 months. We examined the genotypes of fifteen common ssingle-nucleotide polymorphisms in NLRP3 genes. Concentrations of total urinary arsenic were examined by summing of urinary inorganic arsenic species. Concentrations of selenium, cadmium, and lead were measured from blood samples. Associations between NLRP3 polymorphisms, environmental metals exposure, and CKD were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression while controlling for confounders. We observed that the odds of carrying NLRP3 rs4925650 GA/AA genotypes, NLRP3 rs1539019 CA/AA genotypes, and NLRP3 rs10157379 CT/TT genotypes were significantly higher among CKD cases compared to controls, with the adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) were 1.54 (1.01–2.36), 1.56 (1.04–2.33), and 1.59 (1.05–2.38), respectively. The significant multiplicative interactions were identified between high levels of blood lead and NLRP3 rs4925650 GA/AA genotypes; high levels of blood cadmium or low levels of plasma selenium and the NLRP3 haplotype (rs4925648, rs4925650, rs12048215, and rs10754555) C-A-A-C multiplicatively interacted to increase the risk of CKD. Our results imply that NLRP3 polymorphisms may play an important role in the development of environmental metals exposure related CKD.

Chronic Dietary Exposure to Total Arsenic, Inorganic Arsenic and Water-Soluble Organic Arsenic Species Based on Results of the First German Total Diet Study

Chronic Dietary Exposure to Total Arsenic, Inorganic Arsenic and Water-Soluble Organic Arsenic Species Based on Results of the First German Total Diet Study

Arsenic speciation and sorption in acid mine drainage and the polluted water of the Kosva river basin, Russia

Acid mine drainage (AMD) of the abandoned coal mines of the Kizelovsky coal basin (the Urals, Russia) is one of the worst natural disasters in the region. Acidic sulphate waters with a high content of metals freely flow into the surface water bodies. Arsenic, found in elevated concentrations in AMD, is an element of concern due to its potential toxicity to humans and animals. The aim of this work is determination of chemical speciation of inorganic arsenic in AMD as well as the surface water and groundwater affected by mine drainage, and assessment the natural removal of As from mine drainage due to adsorption on precipitated hydrous ferric oxide (HFO). Geochemical speciation (PHREEQC) revealed that arsenic occurs in all water samples as As(V). Surface complexation model shows that, HFO induced by the natural attenuation process may remove 46–85% of total arsenic in AMD and only 28% in polluted groundwater (on average).

Ultrasensitive determination and non-chromatographic speciation of inorganic arsenic in foods and water by photochemical vapor generation-ICPMS using CdS/MIL-100(Fe) as adsorbent and photocatalyst

The determination of inorganic arsenic species in real samples can be particularly challenging due to their trace levels and the interferences arising from sample matrix. Normally, the speciation analysis necessitates chromatographic separation. Herein, we report a novel method for the ultrasensitive detection and non-chromatographic speciation of inorganic arsenic by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), utilizing CdS/MIL-100(Fe) composites as an adsorbent and photocatalyst. The synthesized CdS/MIL-100(Fe) could completely adsorb As(V) and As(III) within 5 and 105 min, respectively. Following filtration and re-suspension in formic acid, the adsorbed As(III)/As(V) were reduced to arsine (AsH3) under UV irradiation and swept to ICP-MS for detection. The limits of detection were found to be 1.7 ng L−1 (without preconcentration) and 0.11 ng L−1 (after 20-fold preconcentration). The method was successfully applied to the determination of trace inorganic arsenic in various food and water samples.

Toxic Metals and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Carotid, Femoral, and Coronary Vascular Territories: The Aragon Workers Health Study.

Studies evaluating the association of metals with subclinical atherosclerosis are mostly limited to carotid arteries. We assessed individual and joint associations of nonessential metals exposure with subclinical atherosclerosis in 3 vascular territories. Approach and Results: One thousand eight hundred seventy-three Aragon Workers Health Study participants had urinary determinations of inorganic arsenic species, barium, cadmium, chromium, antimony, titanium, uranium, vanadium, and tungsten. Plaque presence in carotid and femoral arteries was determined by ultrasound. Coronary Agatston calcium score ≥1 was determined by computed tomography scan. Median arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, antimony, titanium, uranium, vanadium, and tungsten levels were 1.83, 1.98, 0.27, 1.18, 0.05, 9.8, 0.03, 0.66, and 0.23 μg/g creatinine, respectively. The adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) for subclinical atherosclerosis presence in at least one territory was 1.25 (1.03-1.51) for arsenic, 1.67 (1.22-2.29) for cadmium, and 1.26 (1.04-1.52) for titanium. These associations were driven by arsenic and cadmium in carotid, cadmium and titanium in femoral, and titanium in coronary territories and mostly remained after additional adjustment for the other relevant metals. Titanium, cadmium, and antimony also showed positive associations with alternative definitions of increased coronary calcium. Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression analysis simultaneously evaluating metal associations suggested an interaction between arsenic and the joint cadmium-titanium exposure. Our results support arsenic and cadmium and identify titanium and potentially antimony as atherosclerosis risk factors. Exposure reduction and mitigation interventions of these metals may decrease cardiovascular risk in individuals without clinical disease.

Adsorption Separation of Arsenic(III) and Arsenic(V) using Functionalized Silica Gels

A method for the adsorption separation of inorganic arsenic species (As(III)/As(V)) using sequentially connected preconcentrating columns filled with functionalized silica gels and their determination by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry was proposed. As(V) was effectively retained at pH 3.5–6.5 by an adsorbent containing groups of quaternary phosphonium bases on the surface and exhibiting the properties of an anion exchanger. In this pH range, As(III) was not extracted, which made it possible to separate As(V) from As(III). As(III) was retained in a wide pH range of 1–6 by a complexing adsorbent containing mercapto groups on the surface. Adsorbed As(V) was quantitatively eluted from the surface with 1M HNO3, and As(III) – with 5 % unithiol solution in 2M HCl. The use of «non-aggressive» eluents allows us to reuse adsorbents for preconcentration of As(III) and As(V) at least 5 times. The separation efficiency was confirmed by the analysis of model solutions