Top

Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology

Published in:

Open Access 01-12-2017 | Short Report

Assessment of museum staff exposure to arsenic while handling contaminated exhibits by urinalysis of arsenic species

Authors: Amanda Mithander, Thomas Göen, Gitte Felding, Peter Jacobsen

Published in: Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology | Issue 1/2017

Abstract

Preservation of museum objects with inorganic arsenic compounds and contamination of the surroundings has previously been documented. The present study addresses the exposure of museum staff by measuring arsenicals in urine.

After 1 week without exposure, urinary samples were taken before and after handling of preserved skins and analysed by HPLC-ICP-MS for inorganic arsenic, arsenic metabolites and arsenobetaine. The sum of inorganic arsenic and metabolites was an index of exposure. Information about work and seafood intake was obtained by questionnaire.

One out of five subjects had a work-related rise in the exposure index of 18.1 μg As/L to a post-exposure level of 37.1 μg As/L. Four subjects had no certain exposure-related increase in the index.

The study indicates that museum staff may be exposed to arsenic from handling arsenic-preserved objects and supports the use of specified arsenic analysis to avoid interference from organic arsenic.

Gribovich A, Lacey S, Franke J, Hinkamp D. Assessment of arsenic surface contamination in a museum anthropology department. J Occup Environ Med. 2013;55:164–7. https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0b013e3182717e51 CrossRefPubMed

Marte F, Péquignot A, von Endt DW. Arsenic in taxidermy collections: history, detection, and management. Collection Forum. 2006;21:143–50.

Miller PL. Arsenic, old lace, and stuffed owls may be dangerous to your health: environmental concerns for museum personnel. Caduceus. 1991;7:63–70.PubMed

Seifert SA, Boyer LV, Odegaard N, Smith DR, Dongoske KE. Arsenic contamination of museum artifacts repatriated to a Native American tribe. JAMA. 2000;283:2658–9. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.283.20.2653 CrossRefPubMed

Smith B, Coulhan B. Potential exposure to arsenic and other highly toxic chemicals when handling museum artifacts. Appl Occup Environ Hyg. 2002;17:741–3. https://doi.org/10.1080/10473220290096078 CrossRefPubMed

Albernathy CO, Thomas DJ, Calderon RL. Health effects and risk assessment of arsenic. J Nutr. 2003;133:1536S–8S.

Vahidnia A, Van der Voet GB, De Wolff FA. Arsenic neurotoxicity – a review. Human Environ Toxicol. 2007;26:823–32. https://doi.org/10.1177/0960327107084539 CrossRef

Lowney YW, Ruby MV, Wester RC, Schoof RA, Holm SE, Huy XY, Barbadillo S, Maibach HI. Percutaneous absorption of arsenic from environmental media. Toxicol Ind Health. 2005;21:1–14. https://doi.org/10.1191/0748233705th205oa CrossRefPubMed

Ouypornkochagorn S, Feldmann J. Dermal uptake of arsenic through human depends strongly on its speciation. Environ Sci Technol. 2010;44:3972–8. https://doi.org/10.1021/es903667y CrossRefPubMed

10.

Orloff K, Mistry K, Metcalf S. Biomonitoring for environmental exposures to arsenic. J Toxicol Environ Health B. 2009;12:509–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/10937400903358934 CrossRef

11.

Carter DE, Aposhian HV, Gandolfi AJ. The metabolism of inorganic arsenic oxides, gallium arsenide, and arsine: a toxicochemical review. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2003;93:309–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2003.07.009 CrossRef

12.

Apostoli P, Bartoli D, Alessio L, Buchet JP. Biological monitoring of occupational exposure to inorganic arsenic. Occup Environ Med. 1999;56:825–32. https://doi.org/10.1136/oem.56.12.825 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

13.

Morton J, Mason H. Speciation of arsenic compounds in urine from occupantional unexposed and exposed persons in the U.K: Using a routine LC-ICP-MS method. J Anal Toxicol. 2006;30:293–301. https://doi.org/10.1093/jat/30.5.293 CrossRefPubMed

14.

DFG - Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. List of MAK and BAT Values 2015. Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area. Report No. 51. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH; 2015. https://doi.org/10.1002/9783527695539.

15.

Weistenhöfer W, Ochsmann E, Göen T, Drexler H, Klotz K. Tracing for arsenic exposure--a differentiation of arsenic compounds is essential for the health assessment. Dtsch Med Wochenschr. 2016;141:59–60. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0041-104370 PubMed

16.

Schramel P, Michalke B, Emons H, Göen T, Hartwig A, MAK Commission. Determination of arsenic species in urine by HPLC-ICP-MS. MAK Collect Occup Health Saf. 2018;3 in press

17.

Larsen K. Creatinine assay by a reaction-kinetic principle. Clin Chim Acta. 1972;41:209–17.CrossRefPubMed

18.

Göen T, Schaller KH, Drexler H. External quality assessment of human biomonitoring in the range of environmental exposure levels. Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2012;215:229–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2011.08.012 CrossRefPubMed

19.

Heitland P, Köster HD. Fast determination of arsenic species and total arsenic in urine by HPLC-ICP-MS: concentration ranges for unexposed German inhabitants and clinical case studies. J Anal Toxicol. 2008;32:308–14. https://doi.org/10.1093/jat/32.4.308 CrossRefPubMed

20.

Leese E, Morton J, Tan E, Gardiner PHE, Carolan VA. μLC-ICP-MS determinations of unexposed UK urinary arsenic speciation reference values. J Anal Toxicol. 2014;38:24–30. https://doi.org/10.1093/jat/bkt090 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

21.

ACGIH - American Conference of Governmental Hygienists. Threshold Limit Values & Biological Exposure Indices. Cincinnati: ACGIH; 2016.

22.

Heinrich-Ramm R, Mindt-Prüfert S, Szadkowski D. Arsenic species excretion after controlled seafood consumption. J Chromatogr B. 2002;778:263–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-4347(01)00443-1 CrossRef

23.

Molin M, Ulven SM, Dahl L, Telle-Hansen VH, Holck M, Skjegstad G, et al. Humans seem to produce arsenobetaine and dimethylarsinate after a bolus dose of seafood. Environ Res. 2012;112:28–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2011.11.007 CrossRefPubMed

24.

Molin M, Ydersbond TA, Ulven SM, Holck M, Dahl L, Sloth JJ, et al. Major and minor arsenic compounds accounting for the total urinary excretion of arsenic following intake of blue mussels (Mytilus Edulis): a controlled human study. Food Chem Toxicol. 2012;50:2462–72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2012.04.026 CrossRefPubMed

25.

Yang F, Zhang N, Wei C, Liu J, Xie S. Arsenic speciation in organisms from two large shallow freshwater lakes in China. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol. 2017;98:226–233. http://dx.doi.org/. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-016-2018-x.

Title: Assessment of museum staff exposure to arsenic while handling contaminated exhibits by urinalysis of arsenic species
Authors: Amanda Mithander
Thomas Göen
Gitte Felding
Peter Jacobsen
Publication date: 01-12-2017
Publisher: BioMed Central
Published in: Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology / Issue 1/2017
Electronic ISSN: 1745-6673
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12995-017-0173-6

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Assessment of museum staff exposure to arsenic while handling contaminated exhibits by urinalysis of arsenic species

Abstract

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 1/2017

Pulmonary injury associated with spray of a water-based nano-sized waterproofing product: a case study

Prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection among foreign students in Lübeck, Germany tested with QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube and QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus

Migrating pleural plaque in a patient with asbestos induced pleural disease: a case report

Assessment of long-term cultivated human precision-cut lung slices as an ex vivo system for evaluation of chronic cytotoxicity and functionality

Short Questionnaire for Workplace Analysis (KFZA): factorial validation in physicians and nurses working in hospital settings

Effect of low-level CO2 on innate inflammatory protein response to organic dust from swine confinement barns