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Mouse Assay for Determination of Arsenic Bioavailability in Contaminated Soils
Citation:
Bradham, K., G. Diamond, K. Scheckel, Michael F Hughes, S. Casteel, B. Miller, J. Klotzbach, W. Thayer, AND D. Thomas. Mouse Assay for Determination of Arsenic Bioavailability in Contaminated Soils. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH - PART B: CRITICAL REVIEWS. Taylor & Francis, Inc., Philadelphia, PA, 76(13):815-826, (2013).
Impact/Purpose:
The National Exposure Research Laboratory′s (NERL′s) Human Exposure and Atmospheric Sciences Division (HEASD) conducts research in support of EPA′s mission to protect human health and the environment. HEASD′s research program supports Goal 1 (Clean Air) and Goal 4 (Healthy People) of EPA′s strategic plan. More specifically, our division conducts research to characterize the movement of pollutants from the source to contact with humans. Our multidisciplinary research program produces Methods, Measurements, and Models to identify relationships between and characterize processes that link source emissions, environmental concentrations, human exposures, and target-tissue dose. The impact of these tools is improved regulatory programs and policies for EPA.
Description:
Background: Accurate assessment of human exposure estimates from arsenic-contaminated soils depends upon estimating arsenic (As) soil bioavailability. Development of bioavailability assays provides data needed for human health risk assessments and supports development and validation of in vitro assays for predicting bioavailability of As in soils. Objectives: Evaluate intra- and inter-assay variability in estimates of soil As bioavailability using a mouse assay and compare As bioavailability estimates for soils evaluated in both the mouse and juvenile swine assays. Methods: Thirteen soils from mining or agricultural application sites and two National Institute of Standards and Technology standard reference materials were evaluated for As bioavailability using an in vivo mouse model. Repeated mouse assays were conducted with sodium arsenate or test soils to evaluate reproducibility of measurements over time. Bioavailability estimates for 11 soils assayed in mice were compared with results conducted on the same soils in a juvenile swine assay. Results: Relative bioavailabilities of soil As ranged from 11% to 52% in the mouse assay. Repeated mouse assays with arsenate-amended diet yielded similar estimates, signifying little within- or between-assay variation in assay performance. Eleven test materials were evaluated in both the mouse and swine assays. Comparison for 11 test materials evaluated in mouse and swine assays yielded concordant and discordant RBA estimates. Conclusion: Mouse assays yield highly reproducible estimates of RBA for As present in soils contaminated by mining and agricultural activities. Performance of mouse assays in repeated assessments of the same test material indicates that the assay provides accurate and reliable bioavailability estimates. Discordant RBA estimates in mouse and swine assays may reflect differences in design and conduct of assays in the two species.
URLs/Downloads:
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION.PDF (PDF, NA pp, 61.362 KB, about PDF)ORD-004229 FINAL FINAL.PDF (PDF, NA pp, 168.769 KB, about PDF)
Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A
