International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis

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Trend of Arsenic Exposure through the Food-Chain in Bangladesh for the Past Two Decades

Received: 03 April 2015    Accepted: 04 April 2015    Published: 15 April 2015
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Abstract

Large scale use of groundwater for irrigation which is often Arsenic laden, during past two decades, has given rise to the apprehension that this may be resulting in higher Arsenic intake through the food chain. This work was undertaken to determine the trend of average Arsenic exposure of the population in Bangladesh during the period 1990-2010. Based on available data on individual food items, an average estimate of the level of both total and inorganic Arsenic intakes through food chain in Bangladesh have been made using the market basket approach; which is a widely used protocol for such work. The results have been discussed in the light of available information in literature. The results obtained show no significant change in the average intake of inorganic Arsenic during the period. The level of total Arsenic exposure does not also show statistically significant increase in uptake during the study period. Consequently, it is concluded that no restriction is needed on the use of groundwater in irrigation from Arsenic exposure risk consideration of the population. Now that there is no WHO recommended tolerable limit for intake of Arsenic, nationally acceptable limits have to be determined probably by considering cost-benefit analysis.

DOI 10.11648/j.ijema.s.2015030301.15
Published in International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis (Volume 3, Issue 3-1, June 2015)

This article belongs to the Special Issue Ground Water Arsenic Contamination and Action Plan for Mitigation

Page(s) 43-49
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Groundwater, Total Arsenic, Inorganic Arsenic, Food-chain, Market Basket

References
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[2] ANZFA, 2010: Australia -New Zealand Food Authority Report (2010)
[3] ATSDR(2000): Arsenic Toxicity Course: SS3060, Revision date 2000, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Health Education and Promotion, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
[4] USFDA(2010): Total Diet Study Statistics on Element Results Market Baskets; U.S. Food and Drug Administration December 14, 2010
[5] INPPAZ (2002): Latin American Total Diet Study Workshop Report (2002), Pan American Institute for Food Safety and Zoonosis, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
[6] A. H. Milton, G. Ranmuthugala, W. Smith, R. M. Douglas, J. Ng, M. Sim, An Intervention Trial to Assess the Contribution of Food Chain to Total Arsenic
[7] Exposure, 2002) (www.developmentgateway.com.au/pdf/ health/Arsenic_Abstract_ANU_2.pdf )
[8] M. Khaliquzzaman and A. H. Khan, Arsenic Exposure of Bangladesh Population through Food Chain, Report prepared for SEARO WHO, Delhi (2003) (URL: phys4.harvard.edu/~wilson/arsenic/references/Khaliquzzaman_2003.doc )
[9] S.M. Imamul Huq, Ray Correll, Ravi Naidu, J.C. Joardar, Marzia B.Abdulalh and Umme K.Shila, ARSENIC IN FOOD CHAIN: REMEDIAL POSSIBILITIES. (phys4.harvard.edu/~wilson/arsenic/conferences/DCH.../Imamul%20Huq.ppt).
[10] Huq SM, Joardar JC, Parvin S, Correll R, Naidu R., Arsenic contamination in food-chain: transfer of arsenic into food materials through groundwater irrigation. J. Health Popul Nutr. 2006 Sep;24(3):305-16.
[11] JECFA(2011) Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives : Safety evaluation of certain contaminants in food Prepared by the Seventy-second meeting , 2011(WHO Food Additives Series: 63)
[12] T. Uchino, T. Roychowdhury, M. Ando, H. Tokunaga, Intake of arsenic from water, food composites and excretion through urine, hair from a studied population in West Bengal, India Food and Chemical Toxicology 44 (2006) 455–461.
[13] FSANZ (2011): THE 23RD AUSTRALIAN TOTAL DIET STUDY by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), 2011
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[15] H. Hironaka. ,S. A. Ahmed, Arsenic Concentration of Rice in Bangladesh: (www.unu.edu/env/Arsenic/Dhaka2003/09-Hironaka.pdf ).
[16] J. M. Duxbury, A. B .Mayer, J.G. Lauren, N. Hassan, J. Env. Sci. Health, 38A(2003) 61-69.
[17] L, J. Yost, R. A. Schoof and R. Aucoin (1998), Intake of Inorganic Arsenic in the North American Diet. Human Ecol Risk Assess, 4: 137-152.
[18] R. Naidu, Geogenic Arsenic and associated toxicity problems in the groundwater-soil-plant-animal-human continuum, Expert Group Meeting on Arsenic, Nutrition and Food Chain (2001), Pub: UNICEF, Bangladesh Country Office, Dhaka
[19] R. W. Dabeka , A. D. McKenzie, G. M. A. Lacroix, C. Cleroux , S. Bowe, R. A. Graham and H. B. S. Conacher (1993), Survey of Arsenic in Total Diet Food Composites and Estimation of the Dietary Intake of Arsenic by Canadian Adults and Children. J AOAC Int, 76: 14-25.
[20] BBS(2013): Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Household Expenditure Survey 2010, BBS, 2013.
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Author Information
  • Environment Team, World Bank Office, Dhaka, Bangladesh

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    M. Khaliquzzaman. (2015). Trend of Arsenic Exposure through the Food-Chain in Bangladesh for the Past Two Decades. International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis, 3(3-1), 43-49. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.s.2015030301.15

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    M. Khaliquzzaman. Trend of Arsenic Exposure through the Food-Chain in Bangladesh for the Past Two Decades. Int. J. Environ. Monit. Anal. 2015, 3(3-1), 43-49. doi: 10.11648/j.ijema.s.2015030301.15

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    AMA Style

    M. Khaliquzzaman. Trend of Arsenic Exposure through the Food-Chain in Bangladesh for the Past Two Decades. Int J Environ Monit Anal. 2015;3(3-1):43-49. doi: 10.11648/j.ijema.s.2015030301.15

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijema.s.2015030301.15,
      author = {M. Khaliquzzaman},
      title = {Trend of Arsenic Exposure through the Food-Chain in Bangladesh for the Past Two Decades},
      journal = {International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis},
      volume = {3},
      number = {3-1},
      pages = {43-49},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijema.s.2015030301.15},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.s.2015030301.15},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijema.s.2015030301.15},
      abstract = {Large scale use of groundwater for irrigation which is often Arsenic laden, during past two decades, has given rise to the apprehension that this may be resulting in higher Arsenic intake through the food chain. This work was undertaken to determine the trend of average Arsenic exposure of the population in Bangladesh during the period 1990-2010. Based on available data on individual food items, an average estimate of the level of both total and inorganic Arsenic intakes through food chain in Bangladesh have been made using the market basket approach; which is a widely used protocol for such work. The results have been discussed in the light of available information in literature. The results obtained show no significant change in the average intake of inorganic Arsenic during the period. The level of total Arsenic exposure does not also show statistically significant increase in uptake during the study period. Consequently, it is concluded that no restriction is needed on the use of groundwater in irrigation from Arsenic exposure risk consideration of the population. Now that there is no WHO recommended tolerable limit for intake of Arsenic, nationally acceptable limits have to be determined probably by considering cost-benefit analysis.},
     year = {2015}
    }
    

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    T1  - Trend of Arsenic Exposure through the Food-Chain in Bangladesh for the Past Two Decades
    AU  - M. Khaliquzzaman
    Y1  - 2015/04/15
    PY  - 2015
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    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijema.s.2015030301.15
    T2  - International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis
    JF  - International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis
    JO  - International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis
    SP  - 43
    EP  - 49
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
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    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.s.2015030301.15
    AB  - Large scale use of groundwater for irrigation which is often Arsenic laden, during past two decades, has given rise to the apprehension that this may be resulting in higher Arsenic intake through the food chain. This work was undertaken to determine the trend of average Arsenic exposure of the population in Bangladesh during the period 1990-2010. Based on available data on individual food items, an average estimate of the level of both total and inorganic Arsenic intakes through food chain in Bangladesh have been made using the market basket approach; which is a widely used protocol for such work. The results have been discussed in the light of available information in literature. The results obtained show no significant change in the average intake of inorganic Arsenic during the period. The level of total Arsenic exposure does not also show statistically significant increase in uptake during the study period. Consequently, it is concluded that no restriction is needed on the use of groundwater in irrigation from Arsenic exposure risk consideration of the population. Now that there is no WHO recommended tolerable limit for intake of Arsenic, nationally acceptable limits have to be determined probably by considering cost-benefit analysis.
    VL  - 3
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