Arsenic Levels in Chicken Higher Than Expected

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http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?

type=healthNews & storyID=4243293 & section=news

Arsenic Levels in Chicken Higher Than Expected

Thu 29 January, 2004 20:24

By Merritt McKinney

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Young chickens may contain more than

three times as much arsenic as other types of poultry and meat,

researchers report.

These levels are higher than previously believed and may need to be

taken into account when determining what levels of overall arsenic

exposure are safe, according to a report in the January issue of the

journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

The findings raise questions about arsenic exposure in the diet, but

the results need to be confirmed, according to lead author Dr. Tamar

Lasky of the National Institute of Child Health and Development in

Bethesda, land.

Although levels of arsenic in young chickens were higher than

expected, this does not mean that people who eat chicken are at risk

of consuming too much arsenic, Lasky told Reuters Health.

" Most people do not eat amounts of chicken that would result in

excessive arsenic exposure, " she said.

Arsenic has been linked to an increased risk of several health

problems, including bladder and lung cancer, heart disease, diabetes

and birth defects. The chemical naturally occurs in groundwater.

Arsenic is also found in some antibiotics approved for use in

animals, so Lasky's team measured average arsenic concentrations in

meat and poultry in the U.S. from 1994 to 2000. During that period,

arsenic levels were three to four times higher in young chickens

than in other poultry or animals.

Even though arsenic concentrations were higher in young chickens

than in other kinds of meat, the arsenic a person is exposed to by

eating chicken is well below the maximum daily arsenic exposure

recommended by the World Health Organization. A 154-pound person who

ate 612 grams (more than 21 ounces) of chicken a day would still

receive less than half of the daily arsenic limit from chicken,

according to the report.

Of course, chicken is not the only source of arsenic exposure.

Lasky said that people's concern about arsenic in chicken may depend

on how much chicken they consume, as well as on their other sources

of arsenic exposure, such as in their water supply or on the job.

But Lasky stressed that the study was the first attempt to estimate

arsenic concentrations in poultry and meats, so the results must be

validated with additional research.

" If people are receiving higher levels of arsenic from chicken than

previously thought, we may need to recalculate the amounts allowed

in water, " she said.

In the meantime, Lasky said that people who consume lots of chicken

and are very concerned about their arsenic exposure may want to

consider purchasing chicken that is raised without antibiotics. She

noted that antibiotics are the major source of arsenic in chicken.

SOURCE: Environmental Health Perspectives, January 2004.