The Risk of Arsenic Exposure via Dietary Fish and Rice in Nanjing

Objectives To investigate the risk of arsenic (As) exposure via fish and rice in the diet of a typical city in non-contaminated areas of China.

Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted in Nanjing for assessing the consumption of fish and rice. Rice and fish samples (common seawater and freshwater species) were collected from markets and supermarkets in the central districts of Nanjing. The concentration of As in samples were detected after being cooked. A standard risk model parameterized with As concentration, consumption rate, and the body mass of consumer was used for risk calculation. Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) was performed for sensitivity analysis.

Results The result of risk calculation showed an elevated non-carcinogenic risks (hazard quotient/HQ:an average of 0.82 for rice and 0.86 for fish, all lower than 1.00), and carcinogenic risks were in the range of acceptable level (incremental lifetime cancer risk/ILCR:average 6.61E-05 for rice and 7.50E-05 for fish, the acceptable range:1.00E-06~1.00E-04). The result of MCS analysis indicated that the As level both in rice and fish, as well as the consumption rate of population were most important in controlling the risk of As exposure.

Conclusions The consumption of rice and fish, the two major sources of dietary exposure to As in eastern and southern China, was important in controlling the health risk of As exposure. Our result provide a typical example in eastern and southern China, demonstrating that fish consumption together with rice consumption should be considered when assessing the risk of As via dietary exposure.