Dietary Arsenic Exposure in Bangladesh
Author Information
Author(s): Molly L. Kile, E. Andres Houseman, Carrie V. Breton, Thomas Smith, Quamruzzaman Quazi, Mahmuder Rahman, Golam Mahiuddin, David C. Christiani
Primary Institution: Harvard School of Public Health
Hypothesis
What is the contribution of dietary sources to arsenic exposure in women in Bangladesh?
Conclusion
Dietary sources of arsenic become increasingly important as drinking water arsenic concentrations decrease.
Supporting Evidence
- 34% of participants exceeded the WHO's provisional tolerable daily intake of arsenic.
- Median daily total arsenic intake was 68 μg/day from both food and water.
- 82% of the total arsenic detected in dietary samples was inorganic arsenic.
Takeaway
Women in Bangladesh can get arsenic from both the food they eat and the water they drink, and sometimes the food can be a bigger problem when the water is cleaner.
Methodology
A duplicate diet survey was conducted to quantify daily arsenic intake from food and drinking water in 47 women.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to self-reported food intake and reliance on a small sample size.
Limitations
The study focused only on women, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to men.
Participant Demographics
All participants were women, primarily homemakers, with an average age of 36.6 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.05
Confidence Interval
95% CI, 21–49%
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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