MIMER notes November 19, 2010: Arsenic in urine

Urinary arsenic determined in a large US survey

Urinary concentrations of different forms of arsenic have been determined for the United States populations from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES). The results have been published by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in the CDC Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals ("the fourth report", published 2010). For the first time, the fourth report provides comprehensive information about arsenic presence. Urinary total arsenic varied from 5.66 mcg/l (equivalent to 6.58 mcg/g of creatinine) in children to 164 mcg/l (98.8 mcg/g of creatinine) in adults. Some children presented with total urinary arsenic concentration of 178 mcg/l (188 mcg/g creatinine). Arsenic has been associated with all top 10 causes of death worldwide, including cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes, dementias and cancer. The ranges for arsenic are provided so the clinician can compare a patient's readings against national percentiles. The data will help the clinician identify current exposures and monitor the effectiveness of treatments.
Source:
http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/data_tables/URXUAS_DataTables.html [accessed 19 November 19, 2010]