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Soler-Blasco R, Murcia M, Lozano M, Sarzo B, Esplugues A, Vioque J, Lertxundi N, Marina LS, Lertxundi A, Irizar A, Braeuer S, Goesler W, Ballester F, Llop S. Urinary arsenic species and methylation efficiency during pregnancy: Concentrations and associated factors in Spanish pregnant women. Environ Res 2021; 196:110889. [PMID: 33607098 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.110889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Arsenic (As) is considered to be toxic for humans, the main routes of exposure being through drinking water and the diet. Once ingested, inorganic arsenic can be methylated sequentially to monomethyl and dimethyl arsenicals. Several factors can affect both As exposure and methylation efficiency. OBJECTIVES To describe the urinary concentrations of the different As species and evaluate the methylation efficiency during pregnancy, as well as their associated factors in a birth cohort of pregnant Spanish women. METHODS Participants in this cross-sectional study were 1017 pregnant women from two areas of Spain who had taken part in the INMA (Environment and Childhood) project (2003-2008). Total As (organic and inorganic compounds) and its main metabolites (monomethylarsonic acid, [MMA], dimethylarsinic acid, [DMA], inorganic As [iAs]) and arsenobetaine [AB]) were measured in urine samples collected during the first trimester. Sociodemographic and dietary information was collected through questionnaires. Multivariate linear regression models were used to explore the association between As species concentrations and covariates. Arsenic methylation efficiency was determined through the percentages of the metabolites and using As methylation phenotypes, obtained from principal component analysis. RESULTS Median urine concentrations were 33.0, 21.6, 6.5, 0.35 and 0.33 μg/g creatinine for total As, AB, DMA, MMA and iAs, respectively. Daily consumption of rice and seafood during the first trimester of pregnancy were positively associated with the concentration of As species (i.e., β [CI95%] = 0.36 [0.09, 0.64] for rice and iAs, and 1.06 [0.68, 1.44] for seafood and AB). TAs, AB and iAs concentrations, and DMA and MMA concentrations were associated with legume and vegetable consumption, respectively. The medians of the percentage of As metabolites were 89.7 for %DMA, 5.1 for %MMA and 4.7 for %iAs. Non-smoker women and those with higher body mass index presented a higher methylation efficiency (denoted by a higher %DMA and lower %MMA). DISCUSSION Certain dietary, lifestyle, and environmental factors were observed to have an influence on both As species concentrations and methylation efficiency in our population. Further birth cohort studies in low exposure areas are necessary to improve knowledge about arsenic exposure, especially to inorganic forms, and its potential health impact during childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Soler-Blasco
- Epidemiology and Environmental Health Joint Research Unit, FISABIO-Universitat Jaume I-Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Mario Murcia
- Epidemiology and Environmental Health Joint Research Unit, FISABIO-Universitat Jaume I-Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain; Health Information Systems Analysis Service, Conselleria de Sanitat, Generalitat Valenciana, Valencia, Spain
| | - Manuel Lozano
- Epidemiology and Environmental Health Joint Research Unit, FISABIO-Universitat Jaume I-Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain; Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Food Sciences, Toxicology and Forensic Medicine Department, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Blanca Sarzo
- Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research in the Valencian Region, FISABIO-Public Health, Valencia, Spain
| | - Ana Esplugues
- Epidemiology and Environmental Health Joint Research Unit, FISABIO-Universitat Jaume I-Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain; Department of Nursing, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Jesús Vioque
- Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research, ISABIAL-UMH, 03010, Alicante, Spain
| | - Nerea Lertxundi
- Biodonostia Health Research Institute, San Sebastian, Spain; Faculty of Psychology of the University of the Basque Country, UPV/ EHU, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Loreto Santa Marina
- Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain; Biodonostia Health Research Institute, San Sebastian, Spain; Public Health Division of Gipuzkoa, Basque Government, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Aitana Lertxundi
- Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain; Biodonostia Health Research Institute, San Sebastian, Spain; Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health of the University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain
| | - Amaia Irizar
- Biodonostia Health Research Institute, San Sebastian, Spain; Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health of the University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain.
| | - Simone Braeuer
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Walter Goesler
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Ferran Ballester
- Epidemiology and Environmental Health Joint Research Unit, FISABIO-Universitat Jaume I-Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain; Department of Nursing, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Sabrina Llop
- Epidemiology and Environmental Health Joint Research Unit, FISABIO-Universitat Jaume I-Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
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