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Relative bioavailability of arsenic contaminated soils in a mouse model
Citation:
HUGHES, M. F., K. D. BRADHAM, K. G. SCHECKEL, P. E. Seales, G. Lee, C. Nelson, A. Yeow, S. Harper, AND D. J. Thomas. Relative bioavailability of arsenic contaminated soils in a mouse model. Presented at Society of Toxicology (SOT) Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, March 06 - 10, 2011.
Impact/Purpose:
The objective of this study was to develop an in vivo mouse model to assess As bioavailability in soils
Description:
Exposure to As contaminated soils compels extensive soil cleanups so that human health risks are minimized. In order to improve exposure estimates and potentially reduce remediation costs, determination of the bioavailability of As in soils is needed. The objective of this study was to develop an in vivo mouse model to assess As bioavailability in soils. The test soils were from residential sites impacted by former smelter and mining activities. Total As concentrations, measured by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) in soils ranged from 173 to 6899 mg As/kg. Female C57BLl6 mice (4 to 6 wks) were housed in groups of 3 in metabolism cages and provided ad libitum tap water and either AIN-93G purified rodent diet, amended diets containing one of nine test soils (l% w/w soil:diet), amended diets containing one of two As reference soils, or a sodium arsenate-amended (l mg As/kg) diet. Mice were exposed to one of the diets for 9 days. Feed consumption was measured daily. Urine was collected daily. On the tenth day, the animals were humanely euthanized. Urine was pooled for each cage and analyzed for As by INAA. Absolute bioavailability (ABA) ([cumulative urinary As/cumulative As consumed in feed] *100) was about 60% for the sodium arsenate amended diet and ranged from 7-32% in the test diets. The ABA of the two As reference soils was about 26%. Relative bioavailability (RBA) ([ABA test diet/ABA sodium arsenate diet] *100) of the test soils ranged from 11 to 53%. The RBA ofthe two As reference soils was about 43%. The development of a mouse model to assess As bioavailability can provide reliable data that can be obtained quickly, at a reasonable cost and improve exposure and risk assessment. (This abstract does not represent US EPA policy.)