Nitarsone, Inorganic Arsenic, and Other Arsenic Species in Turkey Meat: Exposure and Risk Assessment Based on a 2014 U.S. Market Basket Sample
Nachman, KE; Love, DC; Baron, PA; Nigra, AE; Murko, M; Raber, G; Francesconi, KA; Navas-Acien, A
BACKGROUND: Use of nitarsone, an arsenic-based poultry drug, may result in dietary exposures to inorganic arsenic (iAs) and other arsenic species. Nitarsone was withdrawn from the US market in 2015, but use in other countries may continue.
OBJECTIVES: Characterize the impact of nitarsone use on arsenic species in turkey meat and arsenic exposures among turkey consumers, and estimate cancer risk increases from consuming turkey treated with nitarsone prior to its 2015 US withdrawal.
METHODS: Turkey from three cities was analyzed for total arsenic, iAs, methylarsonate (MA), dimethylarsinate, and nitarsone, which were compared across label type and month of purchase. Turkey consumption was estimated from NHANES to estimate daily arsenic exposures for adults and children 4-30 months of age, and cancer risks among adult consumers.
RESULTS: Turkey meat from conventional producers not prohibiting nitarsone use showed increased mean levels (in µg kg(-1)) of iAs (0.64) and MA (5.27) compared to antibiotic-free and organic meat (0.39 and 1.54, respectively) and meat from conventional producers prohibiting nitarsone use (0.33 and 0.28, respectively). Samples with measurable nitarsone had the highest mean iAs and MA (0.92 and 10.96, respectively). Nitarsone was higher in October samples as compared to March, possibly due to increased summer use. Based on mean iAs concentrations in samples from conventional producers with no known policy versus policies prohibiting nitarsone, estimated lifetime daily consumption by an 80kg adult, and a recently-proposed cancer slope factor, we estimated that use of nitarsone by all turkey producers would result in 3.1 additional cases of bladder or lung cancer per 1,000,000 consumers.
CONCLUSIONS: Nitarsone use can expose turkey consumers to iAs and MA. Our study supports the FDA's removal of nitarsone from the US market, and further supports its removal from the global marketplace.