Study on the biological effects of the environmental arsenic expo-sure

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Arsenic occurs in marine products, such as fish, shellfish and seaweed and also occurs in hot spring water. To evaluate the biological effects of these environmental arsenic exposures, we proposed to examine the urinary concentrations of arsenic species in 3 groups, a)Japanese ordinary healthy people, b)peosons who eat much marine products, c)persons who daily use the hot spring water. Inorganic arsenic(iAs), monomethyl arsenic(MA), dimethyl arsenic(DMA) and trimethyl arsenic(TMA) were detected in urine of healthy people and it was composed 70% more by TMA. IMD level that indicated as the sum of iAs and its metabolites (MA and DMA) was a useful marker of inorganic arsenic poisoning. Because higher levels of urinary IMD were detected in many healthy people who were not suffered from arsenic exposure, we have to consider its meaning in the future. Urinary arsenic levels of all species, especially DMA and TMA were significantly higher in the persons who eat much marine products than healthy people. It was suggested that much intake of marine products reflected on this result. To evaluate the role of oxidative stress in environmental arsenic and to establish the biological monitoring for arsenic, urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine(8-0HdG) levels of all persons in 3 groups were measured. Neither sex nor age differences were found in urinary 8-0HdG levels of healthy people. 8-0HdG levels in both persons who eat much marine products and who daily use the hot spring water were significantly higher than healthy people. However no significant correlation was shown between the urinary concentrations of arsenic species and 8-0HdG levels, such high level of 8-0HdG in 2 groups was suggested due to the environmental arsenic exposure.