Measurement of arsenic in food: New method developed by ANSES

A new method developed by ANSES’s Laboratory for Food Safety promises to revolutionize the measurement of arsenic levels in various food items, improving the assessment of consumer exposure and associated health risks. This innovative method is crucial as certain forms of arsenic are known to be toxic and potentially carcinogenic.  

Arsenic is a naturally occurring element found in soil, but it also enters the environment through industrial activities. It can contaminate both food and drinking water, posing significant health concerns. Given the varying toxicity of arsenic depending on its chemical form, accurate measurement of its different species in food is essential for public health protection.  

The Trace Elements and Nanomaterials Unit at ANSES has successfully developed a validated analytical method capable of identifying and quantifying four distinct arsenic species: two inorganic forms—arsenic(III) (arsenite) and arsenic(V) (arsenate)—and two organic forms—monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA). While inorganic arsenic is widely recognized as carcinogenic, recent research suggests that certain organic forms may also pose health risks, particularly DMA, which has been linked to higher cancer incidence.  

Historically, available analytical methods have struggled to accurately quantify the various arsenic species and were limited to specific food categories. The existing standard method for analyzing inorganic arsenic in seafood and plants only provides a total concentration figure, without differentiating between species. There has been no standardized approach for assessing organic arsenic.  

The team of researchers has optimized and adapted existing techniques to extend their applicability across a broader range of food groups. The new method employs a liquid chromatography technique to separate the arsenic species, paired with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for detection.  

This analytical advancement, developed as part of a PhD project linked to ANSES’s third Total Diet Study (TDS3), has been successfully applied to analyze around 300 samples across 19 commonly consumed food groups in France. This includes prepared meals, beverages, cereals, fruits, vegetables, and seafood, with a mix of organic and conventionally grown items.  

The new methodology not only refines the evaluation of arsenic exposure in the population but also enables a more accurate assessment of health risks based on actual measurements rather than theoretical estimates. This approach can potentially be extended to other harmful elements (e.g. mercury and chromium) further enhancing food safety research and public health initiatives.    

Source:  

ANSES