Contribution to the understanding of biologic concentrations of arsenic in children living in an urban area from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

de Barcellos Fernandes, Thatiana Verônica Rodrigues; Camara, Volney M.; Barrocas, Paulo Rubens Guimarães; Mayer, Armando; Froes Asmus, Carmen I. R.

Contribution to the understanding of biologic concentrations of arsenic in children living in an urban area from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

2018

de Barcellos Fernandes, Thatiana Verônica Rodrigues | Camara, Volney M. | Barrocas, Paulo Rubens Guimarães | Mayer, Armando | Froes Asmus, Carmen I. R.

There are few studies about children’s environmental exposure to arsenic (As) in Brazil, most of them being in mining regions. The objective of this study was to contribute to the understanding of biologic concentrations of arsenic in children living in an urban area, in Brazil. A study of arsenic concentrations in capillary blood (n = 270), nail (n = 261), and urine (n = 99) samples, in male and female children, 8 to 10 years old, from two public schools in Rio de Janeiro, was conducted. Socio-economic and health data were obtained through questionnaires. The nail and capillary blood analysis were performed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), while urine samples were analyzed using hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HG-AAS). The median, geometric mean, and 95th percentiles of total arsenic concentrations were, respectively, 2.53, 2.40, and 3.58 μg/L in capillary blood; 0.09, 0.10, and 0.24 μg/g in nails; and 12.50, 10.97, and 39.45 μg/L in urine. The geometric mean of urinary arsenic level was above the values reported by international surveys for non-exposed populations. The arsenic concentrations in nails were compatible with the values found in national studies. These outcomes can contribute to the increase of knowledge on biologic concentrations of arsenic in children living in urban areas, in Brazil.

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