Speciation Analysis and Environment

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Ingestion of Hijiki seaweed and risk of arsenic poisoning†

  1. Yoshiaki Nakajima1,
  2. Yoko Endo1,*,
  3. Yoshinori Inoue2,
  4. Kenzo Yamanaka3,
  5. Koichi Kato3,
  6. Hideki Wanibuchi4,
  7. Ginji Endo2

Article first published online: 28 JUN 2006

DOI: 10.1002/aoc.1085

Issue

Applied Organometallic Chemistry

Applied Organometallic Chemistry

Special Issue: Special issue including information from the 12th Symposium of the Japanese Arsenic Scientists' Society (JASS) held 5–6 November 2005 in Takizawa, Iwate Prefecture, Japan

Volume 20, Issue 9, pages 557–564, September 2006

Additional Information

How to Cite

Nakajima, Y., Endo, Y., Inoue, Y., Yamanaka, K., Kato, K., Wanibuchi, H. and Endo, G. (2006), Ingestion of Hijiki seaweed and risk of arsenic poisoning. Appl. Organometal. Chem., 20: 557–564. doi: 10.1002/aoc.1085

Author Information

  1. 1

    Clinical Research Center for Occupational Poisoning, Tokyo Rosai Hospital, 4-13-21, Ohmoriminami, Ohta, Tokyo 143-0013, Japan

  2. 2

    Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health, Osaka City University Medical School, Asahi-machi, Abeno, Osaka 545-8585 Japan

  3. 3

    Department of Environmental Toxicology and Carcinogenesis, Nihon University College of Pharmacy, Funabashi, Chiba 274-8555, Japan

  4. 4

    First Department of Pathology, Osaka City University Medical School, Asahi-machi, Abeno, Osaka 545-8585, Japan

*Clinical Research Center for Occupational Poisoning, Tokyo Rosai Hospital, 4-13-21, Ohmoriminami, Ohta, Tokyo 1430-0013, Japan.

  1. †

    This paper is based on work presented at the 12th Symposium of the Japanese Arsenic Scientists' Society (JASS) held 5-6 November 2005 in Takizawa, Iwate Prefecture, Japan.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 17 AUG 2006
  2. Article first published online: 28 JUN 2006
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 21 MAR 2006
  4. Manuscript Received: 16 JAN 2006

Funded by

  • Japan Labour, Health, and Welfare Organization.
  • Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. Grant Number: 15406029.

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Keywords:

  • inorganic arsenic;
  • Hijiki;
  • seaweed;
  • urine

Abstract

The major route of human exposure to arsenic is via ingestion. Seafoods contain large amounts of various arsenic compounds. Recently, people have been advised not to eat Hijiki seaweed (Hijikia fusiforme) in the UK because of its high content of inorganic arsenic (iAs). To clarify the risks of Hijiki ingestion, a 42-year-old male volunteer ingested 825 µg of iAs compounds contained in eight servings of commercial Hijiki food, after refraining from eating seafood for 3 months. In order to determine the distribution of arsenic species in his urine, arsenic compounds were analyzed using HPLC-ICP-MS. The maximum concentrations of arsenate (AsV), arsenite (AsIII), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) were found at 4, 6.5, 13 and 17.5 h after ingestion, respectively. Arsenobetaine concentration was very low, and almost constant throughout the observation period. A total of 28% of ingested arsenic was excreted in urine. The total amounts of AsV, AsIII, MMA and DMA excreted in urine over 50 h were 11.2, 31.8, 40.9 and 104.0 µg, respectively. After eating one serving of Hijiki, arsenic intake and urinary excretion were at levels similar to those in individuals affected by arsenic poisoning. Long-term ingestion of Hijiki might thus have the potential to cause arsenic poisoning. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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