ARSENIC

Overview

CAS number

7440-38-2

Functional Class

Food Contaminant
METALS

Evaluations

Evaluation year: 2011

Comments:

Based on data from an epidemiology study conducted on a highly-exposed population, the inorganic arsenic lower limit on the benchmark dose for a 0.5% increased incidence of lung cancer was calculated to be 3 μg/kg bw per day (range: 2–7 μg/kg bw per day) using a range of assumptions to estimate total dietary exposure of the study population to inorganic arsenic from drinking water and food. The Committee concluded that the current PTWI for As (2.1 μg/kg bw per day) was no longer health protective as the BMDL0.5 value was in the same range as the PTWI value. The PTWI for inorganic As has been withdrawn.

Tolerable Intake:

PTWI withdrawn

Meeting:

Report:

TRS 959-JECFA 72

Tox Monograph:

72ND_2011_Arsenic.pdf

Toxicological study

Pivotal Study:

For the lung cancer endpoint (Chen et al., 2010b): prospective cohort study, Taiwan, n= 6888 total age = 40 yrs, n=178 cases. 11 years follow-up. Exposure range: 10 to =300 µg/L drinking water inorganic As. Adjusted for age, smoking, water use. For the bladder cancer endpoint (Chen et al., 2010a): prospective cohort, Taiwan, n= 8088 total, n=53 cases. 11 years follow-up. Exposure range: 10 to =300 µg/L drinking water inorganic As. Adjusted for age, smoking, water use. For the skin lesions endpoint (Ahsan et al., 2006): cross-sectional, Bangladesh residents, n=11, 746 individually examined for skin lesions. Drinking water exposure range: 0.1 to 864 µg/L, based on well water concentration, cumulative exposure, urine As. (Rahman et al., 2006): case-control, Bangladesh residents age = 4 yrs, n=504 cases, 1830 controls from same study area. Drinking water exposure range: < 10 to > 300 µg/L.

Animal Specie:

Human

Effect:

Cancers of the urinary bladder and lung and skin lesions (hyperkeratosis, hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation)

PTWI:

None. Former value of 15 µg/kg bw withdrawn as no longer considered health-protective.

Point of departure:

BMDL0.5: 3 µg/kg bw/day (lung cancer); 5.2 µg/kg bw/day (bladder cancer); 5.4 µg/kg bw per day (skin lesions)

Evaluation year: 1988

Tolerable Intake:

PTWI 0.015 mg/kg bw

Meeting:

Report:

TRS 776-JECFA 33/27

Tox Monograph:

FAS 24-JECFA 33/155

Previous Years:

1983, TRS 696-JECFA 27/29, FAS 18-JECFA 27/176. 0.002 (PMTDI) 1967, TRS 373/NMRS 43-JECFA 10/14. 0.05 (TENTATIVE MAXIMUM ACCEPTABLE DAILY LOAD). TE 1960, NMRS 29/TRS 220-JECFA 5/29