Background: Arsenicals (roxarsone and nitarsone) used in poultry production likely increase inorganic arsenic (iAs) concentrations in poultry meat. The association between poultry intake and iAs exposure, as reflected in elevated urinary arsenic concentrations, however, is unknown.
Objectives: Evaluate the association between 24-hour dietary recall of poultry consumption and iAs exposure, as reflected in increased urine arsenic concentrations, in the U.S. population. We hypothesized that the association between turkey intake and increased urine arsenic concentrations would be modified by season, reflecting seasonal use of nitarsone.
Methods: We evaluated 3,329 participants ≥6 years old from the 2003-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) with urine arsenic available and undetectable urine arsenobetaine levels. Geometric mean ratios (GMR) of urine total arsenic and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) were compared across increasing levels of poultry intake.
Results: After adjustment, participants in the highest quartile of poultry consumption had urine total arsenic 1.12 (95% CI 1.04, 1.22) and DMA 1.13 (1.06, 1.20) times higher than non-consumers. During the fall/winter participants in the highest quartile of turkey intake had urine total arsenic and DMA 1.17 (0.99, 1.39, p-trend=0.02) and 1.13 (0.99, 1.30, p-trend=0.03) times higher, respectively, than non-consumers. Past 24-hour consumption of turkey was not associated with total arsenic or DMA during the spring/summer.
Conclusions: Poultry intake was associated with increased urine total arsenic and DMA in NHANES 2003-2010, reflecting iAs exposure. Seasonally stratified analyses by poultry type provide strong suggestive evidence that the historical use of arsenic-based poultry drugs contributed to iAs exposure in the U.S. population, and support the banning of arsenic-based poultry drugs internationally
