Abstract
Total and toxic (sum of As(III), As(V), monomethylarsenic (MMA), and dimethylarsenic (DMA)) As concentrations were assessed in 19 respectively 4 different fish and shellfish species from the North Sea. Following results were obtained: (i) for fish an average total As concentration of 12.8 μg/g ww and a P90 value of 30.6 μg/g ww; (ii) for shellfish an average total As concentration of 21.6 μg/g ww and a P90 value of 40.0 μg/g ww; (iii) for fish an average toxic As concentration of 0.132 μg/g ww and a P90 value of 0.232 μg/g ww; (iv) for shellfish an average toxic As concentration of 0.198 μg/g ww and a P90 value of 0.263 μg/g ww. For the Belgian consumer the average daily intake of total arsenic from fish, shellfish, fruit, and soft drinks (the main food carriers of As in Belgium) amounts to 285 μg/day with more than 95% coming from fish and shellfish, while for a high level consumer it amounts to 649 μg/day, more than twice the average value. Using the same daily consumption pattern for the selected food products as for total As, we find that the average daily intake of toxic As amounts to 5.8 μg/day, with a 50% contribution of fish and shellfish and the high level intake to 9.5 μg/day. When considering the FOA/WHO Expert Committee's recommendation for inorganic As intake of 2 μg/kg bw/day or 140 μg/day for a 70 kg person, the toxic dose in Belgium is thus an order of magnitude lower.