Estimating Total Arsenic Exposure in the United States

Publisher Summary Arsenic (As) is a component of the earth's crust and is ubiquitous in the environment. Consequently, humans are exposed to As from a variety of sources, such as food, water, air, and soil. For the majority of people in the United States, the major exposure route is through the consumption of food. Ingestion of soil, dust, or water contaminated with As also occurs in the areas with naturally elevated As levels or near hazardous waste sites. In addition, there are some people whose cultural practices, such as the use of herbal medicines, may cause additional exposures to As. The dermal absorption of As may occur if activities, such as rice farming, require daily exposure to water contaminated with As. Unfortunately, many exposure scenarios only consider one type of exposure, such as exposure to As in soil. It is critical to obtain a complete exposure estimate, especially at lower doses, to be certain that the exposure data used for the risk assessment does not underestimate the true exposure and presents an unrealistic value.