Assessment of arsenic in colostrum and cord serum and risk exposure to neonates from an island population in China

Xu, Chenye; Tang, Mengling; Zhu, Siyu; Naranmandura, Hua; Liu, Weiping

Assessment of arsenic in colostrum and cord serum and risk exposure to neonates from an island population in China

2016

Xu, Chenye | Tang, Mengling | Zhu, Siyu | Naranmandura, Hua | Liu, Weiping

Arsenic (As) has been proven to be highly toxic to humans, but limited attention has focused on exposure levels and potential risks to mother-neonate pairs of coastal populations. This study was conducted by examining the As concentration in colostrum and umbilical cord serum collected from 106 mother-neonate pairs living on Shengsi Island, facing the Yangtze River estuary and Hangzhou Bay in China. Average concentrations of total As in colostrum and cord serum were 18.51 ± 7.00 and 19.83 ± 10.50 μg L⁻¹. One-way ANOVA analysis showed delivered ages and source of drinking water played significant roles in influencing the maternal exposure patterns. Correlation analysis indicated a significantly positive association between As concentrations in colostrum and cord serum. Multivariable linear regression models adjusted for other confounders clarified the dose-response relationship with a coefficient value of 0.23 and a 95 % confidence interval of (0.006, 0.492); p < 0.05. The calculated daily intake of total As for neonates through breastfeeding was in the range from 0.413 to 3.65 μg kg⁻¹ body weight, and colostrum As, especially the most toxic species, inorganic arsenic (iAs), would pose a risk to neonates.

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