Risk assessment of arsenic intake from food and water in the SR

For human, arsenic (As) is toxic substance which is widely transported from natural and anthropogenic resources into environmental components with consequent risk of transport into food and potable water. Oral intake is the most significant source of exposure. Toxicity of As is different depending on the form. Risk assessment of human exposure to As results from available databases of food and potable water analyses, which quote only the concentrations of total As. Mean As concentrations in food and potable water in the SR are below the appropriate limits. The maximum limit was exceeded only in maximum levels of edible fats and oils. Comparing As concentrations in individual commodities between the localities in the SR, the highest contents were found in Kosice region. Evaluation of non-carcinogenic risk from oral exposure to As in general population considering the mean exposure scenario did not show risk, because the hazard index was below or only minimally above the value 1. The risk was only found when using the maximal lifelong exposure scenario, which is not probable. Risk assessment of infant exposure to As from human milk showed the hazard index below 1 also for maximal exposure scenario. Carcinogenic risk for present intake of food and potable water was 5.7x10-4 for adult population and 2.8x10-4 for infants, considering the mean exposure scenario. Using the non-probable maximal exposure scenario, the value of carcinogenic risk for exposure to inorganic As from food and water was 1.7x10-2 for adult population. For infants, this value was 4.5x10-4 considering the maximal exposure to inorganic As from human milk. The results of total As concentrations in food and potable water in the SR indicate that Slovakia belongs to countries with the lowest mean oral intake of arsenic within Europe. Despite this fact, it is necessary to continue in monitoring of As in environmental components and biological materials with specialisation in determination of inorganic As.SK; sk; efsa.focalpoint@land.gov.s