Assessment of arsenic exposure among the residents living along the Mekong River in Cambodia

摘要

Arsenic (As) exposure levels of Cambodian people living along the Mekong River were assessed by determination of As in water,human samples, and fish, and by questionnaire surveys on the use of water resources and fish consumption. Although average concentrations of As in tube well water were over 500 μg/L, only a few patients of arsenicosis were found. Speciation of urinary As and fish consumption survey revealed that total As concentration in urine is influenced by fish consumption pattern in Cambodia where protein nutrition is derived largely from freshwater fish and partly from marine fish. Freshwater fish contained very low levels of arsenobetaine, but small amounts of inorganic As were detected. The intake of inorganic As from freshwater fish was estimated to be far less than those from the water containing 10 μg/L.