Arsenic intake by the adult population in Bombay city

Hydride generator atomic absorption spectrophotometry (HG-AAS) is employed for the determination of arsenic in air, duplicate diet and body fluids. The detection limit for arsenic is 0.02 ppb. The reliability of the analysis is assessed through analysis of Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) of soil and fish tissue obtained from IAEA. The concentration of arsenic in atmospheric air particulates collected from different suburbs showed geometric means in the range of 1.9-5.6 ng/m3. The total intake of arsenic through air and duplicate diet is approximately 10 micrograms/day for the adult population of Bombay (Mumbai) City. The dietary intake through food is the major contributor to the total intake. The turnover time of arsenic in blood is estimated to be approximately 33 days based on the observed mean concentration of arsenic in blood of 1 microgram/dl. The daily intake of arsenic by the adult population of Bombay is much lower than the WHO recommended value of 140 micrograms.