Identification of some arsenic species in human urine and blood after ingestion of Chinese seaweed Laminaria

Algae contain high amounts of arsenic in the form of arsenosugars. The metabolism and toxicology of these arsenic species are not yet fully understood. Three sets of experiments have been conducted in which the alga Laminaria, was ingested by 2 to 5 healthy volunteers. Total arsenic concentrations in urine and in blood, packed blood cells and serum have been determined using ICP-MS and HGAFS, respectively. Neutron activation analysis was used for the determination of the total arsenic content in algae samples. Speciation analysis of urine and serum samples has been carried out using HPLC-ICP-MS. HPLC-ES-MS/MS has been used for structural confirmation. The stability of the arsenosugars in simulated gastric fluid was studied for both boiled and unboiled seaweed. A maximum level of arsenic in urine appears within 15 to 25 h after ingestion. Total arsenic and speciation analysis revealed no marked increase in arsenic blood, serum and packed cells levels up to 7 h after ingestion. Dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), methylarsonic acid (MA) and dimethylarsinoylethanol (DMAE) have been positively identified in urine sampled after algae intake. Another 5 species remain unknown. In simulated gastric fluid incubated with algae, the larger share of the arsenosugars degrade within a short time span into a compound with a mass of 254 Da.