ABSTRACT
Minas Gerais (MG) is a mineral-rich State in Brazil hosting mining activities since the late 17th century, when large gold deposits were discovered. Arsenic contamination is often associated with precious and base-metal extraction. It is sometimes a challenge to establish what might be a representative background level of arsenic in a population biomonitoring program. This study aimed to establish such a background with a representative sample amongst the population in Belo Horizonte, a modern urban city without mining areas. Urine samples were collected for total (n = 506) and arsenic speciation (n = 138) measurements. The selection of study subjects across Belo Horizonte approximated the demographics of the city in terms of sex and age proportions. The geometric mean total As was 9.68 µg/g creatinine (9.17−10.22, n = 506) and the sum of inorganic and methylated As was 5.21 µg/g creatinine (4.32-6.28, n=138) with no significant differences were observed between males and females. The results of this study may serve as a background As-exposure and methylation profile in future environmental exposure studies.
