ASSESSING THE BIOAVAILABILITY AND BIOACCESSIBILITY OF TOTAL ARSENIC AND ARSENIC SPECIES IN ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLES
Author
Pizarro, Isabel
Roman, Domingo
Gomez, Milagros
Palacios, M. Antonia
Abstract
Studies on the bioavailability of As, of impacted vegetables; and As bioaccesibility in the edible parts of carrots (daucus carota), beets (beta vulgaris) and quinoa (chenopodium) growing in polluted soils thought “in vitro” gastrointestinal process; the As speciation both in the edible parts of vegetables and in their gastrointestinal extracts have been performed. Elemental analysis and As speciation have been performed by ICP-MS and LC-ICP-MS, respectively. The Arsenic recovery after the in vitro gastrointestinal digestion was from 98, 90 and 40% for carrots, beets and quinoa, respectively; with no significant transformation of original As species. These studies provide a clearer understanding of the impact that As and other contaminant elements may present in the population of this high polluted Chilean region.