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Updated: May 6, 2026

Determination of Inorganic Arsenic in a Wide Range of Food Matrices using Hydride Generation - Atomic Absorption Spectrometry.
Published on: September 1, 2017
Health risk assessment for arsenic contaminated soil
B L Murphy1, A P Toole, P D Bergstrom
1Gradient Corp., 44 Brattle Street, 02138, Cambridge, MA, USA.
This study assesses chronic arsenic exposure risks from contaminated soil via inhalation and ingestion, estimating lung and skin cancer risks. Findings suggest current risk estimates for arsenic exposure are likely conservative due to complex carcinogenic mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Toxicology
- Risk Assessment
Background:
- Arsenic-contaminated soil poses chronic exposure risks through inhalation and ingestion.
- Understanding these pathways is crucial for public health risk assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and describe risk assessment methods for chronic arsenic exposure from soil.
- To estimate potential lung and skin cancer risks associated with these exposure pathways.
Main Methods:
- Estimating inhalation and ingestion rates across age groups.
- Developing indoor/outdoor time budgets and measuring indoor arsenic concentrations.
- Utilizing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency cancer potency factors for risk calculations.
Main Results:
- Exposure models incorporated age-specific rates and time-activity patterns.
- Indoor/outdoor arsenic concentration ratios and dust particle size variations were noted.
- Risk calculations considered uncertainties in arsenic's carcinogenic mechanisms and dose-response relationships.
Conclusions:
- Current risk estimates for arsenic exposure are likely conservative.
- Arsenic's role as a late-stage carcinogen and nonlinear low-dose response impact risk assessment.
- Further research into arsenic bioavailability and particle size is warranted.
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