Current MITHE-SN Projects Metadata
I6 Dr. X. Chris Le (P.I.) – Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Alberta
Arsenic Speciation in the Environment (Foods + Ingested Particles)
Objectives being Investigated
Further to the successful completion of our study that measured the arsenic and chromium
levels on children
s hands after playing in playgrounds, this study will extend to measure
biomarkers of exposure. Chromium and arsenic speciation in saliva and urine samples from
the participating children will be determined and will be used to assess children
s overall
exposure to arsenic and chromium.
To address some concerns over arsenic in game meat and traditional foods of the First
Nations, moose and deer meat as well as cattail plant samples collected from First Nations
communities in Northern Alberta will be studied for arsenic speciation. The chromatography
and mass spectrometry techniques that have been developed during the previous period will
be applied to the characterization and quantitation of arsenic species in these food samples.
The skin and starchy tuber of cattail plants will be analyzed separately because our
preliminary results have shown that elevated arsenic levels are found to be localized on the
surface (skin) and fine roots of cattail. This separate analysis is important because it is the
starchy tuber that is usually consumed.
The speciation techniques will further be adapted and applied to studies of vanadium
speciation in oilsands and processing by-products. Release of relatively high levels of
vanadium from oilsands is a potential environmental concern that requires attention.
Study/Sampling Design
(a) Initially, soil/sand samples were obtained from eight Edmonton playgrounds containing
wood treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA) and another eight playgrounds that did
not contain CCA-treated wood. Hand-washing samples were then obtained from 66 children
who played in the eight playgrounds containing CCA and 64 children who played in the
other eight playgrounds that did not contain CCA-treated wood. We have recently collected
urine and saliva samples from children following playing in the CCA and non-CCA
playgrounds. Speciation analysis of arsenic and chromium in children
s hand washing,
urine, and saliva samples provides an assessment of children
s exposure to arsenic and
chromium.
(b) Market basket food samples were obtained from Vancouver, Edmonton and Kingston,
representing larger, medium and small Canadian cities. Additional samples from First
Nations communities were obtained from Northern Alberta. Speciation of arsenic
compounds in these food items provides information necessary for the assessment of dietary
ingestion of arsenic species by Canadians.
Number of projects providing material for study: 0
Location of Field Site(s)
• Playgrounds in Edmonton, Alberta (children
s hand-washings, urine, and saliva
samples)
• Northern Alberta (moose and deer meat and cattail samples from First Nations
communities)
• Fort McMurray, Alberta (oilsand and coke samples)
• Vancouver, B.C. (market basket food samples)
• Kingston, Ontario (market basket food samples)
Human Studies
Outcome or Process Studied
Children
s exposure to arsenic and chromium from contact with wood
treated with chromated copper arsenate.
Exposure Medium, and Metals/Substances Quantified
Ingestion due to hand-to-mouth behaviour of children.
Arsenic and chromium in soil/sand, children
s hand-washings, urine, and
saliva.
Biological Endpoint(s) Monitored
--- none provided ---
Biota Studied
Species
Moose and deer meat, cattail and rattail, crayfish
Metals, etc. Quantified
Arsenic
Biological Endpoint(s)
--- none provided ---
Physical Material(s) Studied
Medium/Media
Soil/sand, hand-washing water, oilsand
Metals, etc. Quantified
Arsenic, chromium and vanadium
Bibliographic References on-file with Secretariat: No
Data Available: No
Data Archived with MITHE-SN: No
Collaborators
Dr. William Cullen (Co-Inv.) – , University of British Columbia
Dr. Steve Hrudey (Co-Inv.) – Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Alberta
Dr. Xing-Fang Li (Co-Inv.) – Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Alberta
Dr. Ken Reimer (Co-Inv.) – Chemistry/Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College,
CFB Kingston
Metals in the Human Environment Strategic Network
MITHE-SN Secretariat c/o The Canadian Network of Toxicology Centres Head Office
University of Guelph, Gordon Street, Edmund Bovey Bldg. #80, 2nd Floor, Guelph, Ontario,
N1G 2W1
Tel: 519.824.4120 ext. 52950 | Fax: 519.837.3861 | Email: dwarner@uoguelph.ca
Updated: Jan. 07, 2008 | © MITHE-SN 2010 | www.mithe-
sn.org/data_management/project_metadata_details.cfm