Arsenic

speciation in
food
Zdenka lejkovec
Ingrid Falnoga
Why arsenic speciation? Toxicity!

Compound LD50 mice LD50 man LDL0 man

(g/kg) (g/kg) (g/kg)
As2O3 0.03 0.0015
As2O5 0.005
TETRA 0.89
DMA 1.2 0.5
MA 1.8 0.05
AC 6.5
TMAO 10.6
AsB > 10

120 mg/80kg
Arsenic in food known problems

major compounds toxicity

Water inorganic As (3+/5+) high

Seafood arsenobetaine low
Algae arsenosugars unknown
Rice inorganic As and DMA high
How does arsenic come into food?

Food of terrestrial origin

low uptake of As into plants
biomethylation or its absence
transfer to animals used as food
mainly inorganic As expected higher toxicity at low
concentrations

Food of aquatic origin

efficient uptake of As and its transfer via the food chain
biotransformation of inorganic arsenic into compounds
with different toxicity
origin of arsenobetaine (low toxicity) still unknown
Food control

H3AsO3
H3AsO4
(CH3)3As+CH2COOH
(CH3)3As+CH2CH2OH
CH3AsO(OH)2
(CH3)2AsO(OH)
(CH3)3AsO
(CH3)4As+
 Linkage Distance
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80

L.lota

S.trutta4

S.trutta1

S.trutta3

S.trutta2

O.mykiss2

O.mykiss1

S.sp

S.marmoratus

R.pigus virgo1

R.pigus virgo2

B.barbus

C.nasus2

C.nasus1

C.nasus3

S.glanis
Genetics

Y
Open questions

Origin of arsenobetaine connection to seafood?

Contaminated areas in Slovenia (Kotredeica, Meica,
Celje) potential transfer of As to cow milk?
Arsenic in relation to antimony and selenium - interactions
and increased or decreased toxicity?