[Assessment of Dietary Arsenic Exposure Levels and the Associated Health Risks in Chongqing City, China]

To determine the levels of arsenic in food in Chongqing city, and to assess the levels of dietary arsenic exposure and the associated potential health risks in residents of Chongqing city.

By using the monitoring data on arsenic levels in food in Chongqing between 2018 and 2023 in combination with the local dietary survey data for Chongqing from the 2018 China Nutrition and Health Survey Program, and adopting the 2-dimensional Monte Carlo simulation, we made an estimate of the dietary arsenic exposure levels of Chongqing residents. The margin of exposure (MOE) method was applied to assess both non-carcinogenic risks (skin damage) and carcinogenic risks (lung cancer and urinary system cancers) associated with dietary intake of arsenic.

Out of 4900 food samples, the detection rate of arsenic was 36.40%, with the average levels ranging from the median bound (MB) of 0.0207 to the upper bound (UB) of 0.0234 mg/kg. The highest average levels were found in rice and its products, with an MB of 0.0981 and a UB of 0.0985 mg/kg. The daily average exposure to inorganic arsenic for residents of different ages, sexes, and places of residence was highest in individuals aged 3 to 6, with an MB of 1.046 μg/(kg·d) and a UB of 1.116 μg/(kg·d), and lowest among individuals aged 60 and older. Arsenic exposure was higher in males than that in females and higher in people living in rural areas compared to those in urban areas. In terms of non-carcinogenic risks, the MOE values for inorganic arsenic were always higher than 1 in various populations. As for carcinogenic risks, the MOE values were all less than 100 in various populations. Rice and its products were the main source of dietary arsenic exposure in Chongqing, accounting for 69.97% to 74.37% of the total exposure.

The non-carcinogenic risk caused by dietary arsenic exposure in Chongqing is relatively low, but there may be a certain level of carcinogenic risk. Continued attentions should be given to dietary arsenic exposure levels in young children.