Arsenic

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In 2017 to 2018, the 95th percentile for urinary (creatinine corrected) concentration of arsenic among persons aged 6 years and older was 52.2 µg/g.

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Background

Arsenic is a tasteless, odorless element in the environment that can be found naturally in rocks and soil, water, air, plants, and animals. It can also be released into the environment from some agricultural and industrial sources.

Arsenic is usually part of chemical compounds, including inorganic compounds (combined with oxygen, iron, chlorine, and sulfur), and organic compounds (combined with carbon and other atoms).

Inorganic arsenic compounds are found in industry, in building products (in some “pressure-treated” woods), and in arsenic-contaminated water. Soil and water contamination also can occur as a result of mining and smelting activities. Past use of arsenic-containing herbicides has resulted in soil contamination, and some food crops grown in these soils take up the arsenic. Inorganic arsenic compounds are more toxic than organic arsenic compounds, and inorganic arsenic has been strongly linked to cancer of the bladder, lungs, and skin. Additionally, inorganic arsenic has been linked to some types of kidney cancers, as well as liver and intrahepatic bile duct and prostate cancers.

We typically take in small amounts of inorganic arsenic in the food we eat (in particular, rice and fish), the water we drink, and the air we breathe. Arsenic is also present in tobacco smoke. People may be exposed to higher levels of arsenic at work in certain industries, but such exposures are now rare in the United States. People may also be exposed to greater amounts of arsenic if they live near current or former industrial or agricultural sources of arsenic, live in areas where arsenic is naturally high in drinking water, or eat a lot of seafood (although the organic form predominantly found in seafood is likely to be much less harmful). Major dietary sources of inorganic arsenic include rice and rice products.

Both short- and long-term exposure to arsenic can cause health problems. Breathing in high levels of arsenic may cause a sore throat and irritated lungs. Swallowing high levels of arsenic can be fatal. Exposure to lower levels of arsenic over longer periods of time can result in liver and kidney damage. Moreover, arsenic and cigarette smoking exposure act synergistically to increase the incidence of lung cancer.

Measure

We present exposure data on the 95th percentile of the population, representing people with the greatest exposure. The 95th percentile level means that 95% of the population has concentrations below that level. Public health officials use such reference values to determine whether groups of people are experiencing an exposure that is unusual compared with an exposure experienced by the rest of the population. For more information, see the National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

To calculate whether the differences between 95th percentiles for two different time points are statistically significant, we used a different statistical methodology than that used by the National Center for Environmental Health, which publishes the National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, from which our data are derived. Our estimates may differ slightly from those in the original report due to differences in statistical procedures used. [Methodology]

Because arsenic is measured from urine, the concentration of arsenic may be affected by urine diluteness. Analyte concentrations within urine also may vary with time, due to changes in the water concentration within urine. We use creatinine as a reference analyte to adjust for urine concentration and obtain measures of arsenic that are comparable, whether they are from concentrated or dilute urine samples.

Healthy People 2030 Target

There are no Healthy People 2030 targets regarding urinary concentration of arsenic.

Healthy People 2030 is a set of goals set forth by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Data Source

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Trends and Most Recent EstimatesHelp with navigating the graphs and data tables

Total Arsenic Exposure

By Sex
95th percentile for urinary (creatinine corrected) concentrations (µg/g of creatinine) of total arsenic among persons aged 6 years and older by sex, 2003-2018
Overview Graph Detailed Trend Graphs Most Recent Estimates (2017 to 2018)
Microgram/gram (µg/g) 95% Confidence Interval
Thumbnail of graph for 95th percentile for urinary (creatinine corrected) concentrations (µg/g of creatinine) of total arsenic among persons aged 6 years and older by sex, 2003-2018 Both SexesClick to see the detailed trend graph for Both Sexes 52.2 40.3 - 71.9
MaleClick to see the detailed trend graph for Male 47.9 34.2 - 72.6
FemaleClick to see the detailed trend graph for Female 58.7 39.0 - 75.5
By Race/Ethnicity
95th percentile for urinary (creatinine corrected) concentrations (µg/g of creatinine) of total arsenic among persons aged 6 years and older by race/ethnicity, 2003-2018
Overview Graph Detailed Trend Graphs Most Recent Estimates (2017 to 2018)
Microgram/gram (µg/g) 95% Confidence Interval
Thumbnail of graph for 95th percentile for urinary (creatinine corrected) concentrations (µg/g of creatinine) of total arsenic among persons aged 6 years and older by race/ethnicity, 2003-2018 All Races/EthnicitiesClick to see the detailed trend graph for All Races 52.2 40.3 - 71.9
Non-Hispanic WhiteClick to see the detailed trend graph for Non-Hispanic White 47.5 34.6 - 65.1
Non-Hispanic BlackClick to see the detailed trend graph for Non-Hispanic Black 40.5 28.3 - 61.2
HispanicClick to see the detailed trend graph for Hispanic 42.5 30.7 - 97.5
By Age
95th percentile for urinary (creatinine corrected) concentrations (µg/g of creatinine) of total arsenic among persons aged 6 years and older by age, 2003-2018
Overview Graph Detailed Trend Graphs Most Recent Estimates (2017 to 2018)
Microgram/gram (µg/g) 95% Confidence Interval
Thumbnail of graph for 95th percentile for urinary (creatinine corrected) concentrations (µg/g of creatinine) of total arsenic among persons aged 6 years and older by age, 2003-2018 Ages 6-11Click to see the detailed trend graph for Ages 6-11 25.8 20.4 - 39.8
Ages 12-19Click to see the detailed trend graph for Ages 12-19 33.0 13.7 - 48.3
Ages 20+Click to see the detailed trend graph for Ages 20+ 59.4 43.2 - 75.0
By Poverty Income Level
95th percentile for urinary (creatinine corrected) concentrations (µg/g of creatinine) of total arsenic among persons aged 6 years and older by poverty income level, 2003-2018
Overview Graph Detailed Trend Graphs Most Recent Estimates (2017 to 2018)
Microgram/gram (µg/g) 95% Confidence Interval
Thumbnail of graph for 95th percentile for urinary (creatinine corrected) concentrations (µg/g of creatinine) of total arsenic among persons aged 6 years and older by poverty income level, 2003-2018 < 200% of the federal poverty levelClick to see the detailed trend graph for < 200% of the federal poverty level 35.2 27.0 - 50.8
>= 200% of the federal poverty levelClick to see the detailed trend graph for >= 200% of the federal poverty level 67.9 40.5 - 83.6
By Education Level
95th percentile for urinary (creatinine corrected) concentrations (µg/g of creatinine) of total arsenic among adults aged 20 years and older by highest level of education obtained, 2003-2018
Overview Graph Detailed Trend Graphs Most Recent Estimates (2017 to 2018)
Microgram/gram (µg/g) 95% Confidence Interval
Thumbnail of graph for 95th percentile for urinary (creatinine corrected) concentrations (µg/g of creatinine) of total arsenic among adults aged 20 years and older by highest level of education obtained, 2003-2018 Less than High SchoolClick to see the detailed trend graph for Less than High School 52.7 36.5 - 126.1
High SchoolClick to see the detailed trend graph for High School 39.8 24.6 - 68.5
Greater than High SchoolClick to see the detailed trend graph for Greater than High School 70.1 46.2 - 85.4
By Smoking Status
95th percentile for urinary (creatinine corrected) concentrations (µg/g of creatinine) of total arsenic among adults aged 20 years and older by smoking status, 2003-2018
Overview Graph Detailed Trend Graphs Most Recent Estimates (2017 to 2018)
Microgram/gram (µg/g) 95% Confidence Interval
Thumbnail of graph for 95th percentile for urinary (creatinine corrected) concentrations (µg/g of creatinine) of total arsenic among adults aged 20 years and older by smoking status, 2003-2018 Non-SmokerClick to see the detailed trend graph for Non-Smoker 64.7 46.6 - 82.7
SmokerClick to see the detailed trend graph for Smoker 24.3 19.0 - 41.1

Inorganic Arsenic Exposure

By Sex
95th percentile for urinary (creatinine corrected) concentrations (µg/g of creatinine) of inorganic-related arsenic species among persons aged 6 years and older by sex, 2003-2018
Overview Graph Detailed Trend Graphs Most Recent Estimates (2017 to 2018)
Microgram/gram (µg/g) 95% Confidence Interval
Thumbnail of graph for 95th percentile for urinary (creatinine corrected) concentrations (µg/g of creatinine) of inorganic-related arsenic species among persons aged 6 years and older by sex, 2003-2018 Both SexesClick to see the detailed trend graph for Both Sexes 14.7 13.3 - 18.4
MaleClick to see the detailed trend graph for Male 12.9 10.2 - 15.1
FemaleClick to see the detailed trend graph for Female 17.0 14.2 - 22.5
By Race/Ethnicity
95th percentile for urinary (creatinine corrected) concentrations (µg/g of creatinine) of inorganic-related arsenic species among persons aged 6 years and older by race/ethnicity, 2003-2018
Overview Graph Detailed Trend Graphs Most Recent Estimates (2017 to 2018)
Microgram/gram (µg/g) 95% Confidence Interval
Thumbnail of graph for 95th percentile for urinary (creatinine corrected) concentrations (µg/g of creatinine) of inorganic-related arsenic species among persons aged 6 years and older by race/ethnicity, 2003-2018 All Races/EthnicitiesClick to see the detailed trend graph for All Races 14.7 13.3 - 18.4
Non-Hispanic WhiteClick to see the detailed trend graph for Non-Hispanic White 13.3 12.6 - 14.2
Non-Hispanic BlackClick to see the detailed trend graph for Non-Hispanic Black 11.1 9.5 - 15.3
HispanicClick to see the detailed trend graph for Hispanic 16.4 12.8 - 21.2

Additional Information on Arsenic

Year Range

2003-2018

Recent Summary Trend Year Range

2013-2018

Summary Tables

Chemical Exposures

Recent Summary Trend

Non-Significant Change

Desired Direction

Falling