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Arsenic levels found in US wines, food and beverages

Arsenic levels above the 10 parts per billion limit on drinking water issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency were found in U.S. wines, beverages and foods, according to data published in two Journal of Environmental Health studies.

Denise Wilson, PhD, a professor in the department of electrical engineering at the University of Washington, wrote that entire diets should be taken into consideration when assessing exposure to arsenic.

Wilson evaluated 65 red wines from California, New York, Washington and Oregon. The wines were analyzed for their arsenic and lead content in environmental laboratories as well as for inorganic arsenic species using field tests.

Denise Wilson

Results showed that all 65 wines contained levels of arsenic of at least 10 parts per billion (ppb). The highest level was measured at 75.9 ppb. Additionally, lead was found in 58% of the wines.

In her other study, Wilson reviewed studies that assessed various foods and beverages for arsenic contamination, including apple juices and ciders, grape juice, milk, bottled water, infant formula, broths, rice, seafood and cereal bars. She reported that while items like grape juice, wine, cereal bars, rice and seafood were above the 10 ppb exposure limit, risk is dependent on total diet.

"If it is the only source in the diet, arsenic in red wine poses a health risk to core (1 to 2 glasses/day) drinkers who consume wine from the same source or vineyard where that vineyard has over four times the 10 ppb limit for arsenic in drinking water," Wilson told Healio Internal Medicine. "Arsenic continues to be a whole diet concern with the highest risk to overall consumption posed by private well water, rice, apple juice and apple juice-containing beverages, wine and recently, products containing organic brown rice syrup."

Wilson noted that the data also indicate the potential for serious health risks for some populations that consume more than one source of contaminated food or beverage on a regular basis.

"It seems that heavy metal tests should rise up the list of regular care for those who meet certain risk factors," Wilson said. "Also, recent literature has demonstrated evidence that the sum total of heavy metals like arsenic, lead and mercury can have a combinatorial or additive effect on the human body. Since it is so hard to prove causality between heavy metal exposure and resulting health problems except in acute cases, my belief is that more regular testing with at-risk groups for arsenic is appropriate." – by Chelsea Frajerman Pardes

Disclosures: Wilson reports no relevant financial disclosures.