Transference factors as a tool for the estimation of arsenic milk concentration

A. PÉREZ CARRERA; C. ALVAREZ GONÇALVEZ; A. FERNANDEZ CIRELLI

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH

SPRINGER HEIDELBERG

Lugar: HEIDELBERG; Año: 2016 vol. 23 p. 16329 - 16335

0944-1344

The Chaco Pampean Plain of central Argentina representsone of the largest regions with high levels of arsenic(As) in groundwater. The aim of this study was the assessmentof a biotransference factor (BTF) as a tool for the estimation ofAs concentration in cow?s milk from As drinking water concentration.Total As content in livestock drinking water, soil,forage, and milk was determined in farms located in an area ofhigh As groundwater, in order to analyze the relation betweenAs uptake and its transfer to milk. The concentrations of As inmilk ranged from 0.5 to 8.0 μg/L. From the results obtained,drinking water may be considered the main source of exposureto As, and the biotransference factor for milk ranges from1.5× 10−5 to 4.3 ×10−4. Therefore, BTF provides a simple toolfor the estimation of arsenic levels in milk through the Aslivestock drinking water content.