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[ZD33] Arsenic exposure and health risk assessment for adult population
Impacts

Key message
Good

Concentrations of total arsenic in blood, urine and breast milk in Slovenia are low and comparable to concentrations worldwide.

Long-term surveillance will be possible once regular national human biomonitoring is established.

Charts

Figure ZD33-1: Content of total arsenic (geometric mean) in blood (µg/L) in Slovenia from 2007-2014
Sources:

Horvat et al., 2015

Show data
Slovenia[µg/L] rural environment[µg/L] urban environment[µg/L] potentially contaminated environment[µg/L]
Slovenia 0.97 0 0 0
Kočevje in Cerknica 0 0.71 0 0
Pomurje 0 0.83 0 0
Savinjsko-posavska regija 0 0.81 0 0
Ljubljana 0 0 1.01 0
Maribor 0 0 0.84 0
Obalna mesta 0 0 2.11 0
Bela krajina 0 0 0 0.69
Celje 0 0 0 0.94
Mežiška dolina 0 0 0 0.83
Zasavje 0 0 0 0.92
Jesenice 0 0 0 0.99
Posočje in Idrija 0 0 0 1.12
Figure ZD33-2: Content of total arsenic (geometric mean) in urine in Slovenia from 2007–2014
Sources:

Horvat et al., 2015

Show data
Slovenia[µg/g creatinine] rural environment[µg/g creatinine] urban environment[µg/g creatinine] potentially contaminated environment[µg/g creatinine]
Slovenia 7.03 0 0 0
Pomurje 0 5.59 0 0
Savinjsko-posavska regija 0 5.83 0 0
Maribor 0 0 4.07 0
Obalna mesta 0 0 15.47 0
Celje 0 0 0 6.79
Mežiška dolina 0 0 0 6.62
Zasavje 0 0 0 6.57
Jesenice 0 0 0 6.21
Posočje in Idrija 0 0 0 8.99
Figure ZD33-3: Content of total arsenic (geometric mean) in maternal milk in Slovenia from 2007–2014
Sources:

Horvat et al., 2015

Show data
Slovenia[µg/L] rural environment[µg/L] urban environment[µg/L] potentially contaminated environment[µg/L]
Slovenia 0.19 0 0 0
Kočevje in Cerknica 0 0.16 0 0
Pomurje 0 0.16 0 0
Savinjsko-posavska regija 0 0.17 0 0
Ljubljana 0 0 0.21 0
Maribor 0 0 0.15 0
Obalna mesta 0 0 0.42 0
Bela krajina 0 0 0 0.18
Celje 0 0 0 0.14
Mežiška dolina 0 0 0 0.16
Zasavje 0 0 0 0.22
Jesenice 0 0 0 0.15
Posočje in Idrija 0 0 0 0.15
Figure ZD33-4: Content of total arsenic (geometric mean) in blood around the world from 1990-2018
Sources:

Horvat et al., 2015; Kim et al., 2017; Nisse et al., 2016; Stojsavljević et al., 2019; WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2015

Note:

*northern part

Show data
Content of total arsenic (geometric mean) in blood (µg/L) [µg/L]
Slovenia (2007–2014) 0.97
Korea (2014–2016) 7.19
France* (2008–2010) 1.67
Brazil (2008–2010) 1.10
China (2009–2010) 2.33
Germany (1990–1992) 0.50
Germany (1998) 0.61
Serbia (2018) 0.53
Figure ZD33-5: Content of total arsenic (geometric mean) in blood around the world from 2006–2014
Sources:

Horvat et al., 2015; Cheung et al., 2020; Nisse et al., 2015; Saoudi et al., 2012; WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2015

Note:

*northern part

Show data
Content of total arsenic (geometric mean) in urine (µg/g kreatinina )[µg/g creatinine]
Slovenia (2007–2014) 7.03
France (2006–2007) 12
France* (2008–2010) 16.10
Belgium (2007–2011) 15.90
Belgium (2010–2011) 8.40
Canada (2007–2008) 14
Canada (2009–2011) 8.60
South Korea (2008) 41.10
USA (2007–2008) 9
USA (2009–2010) 10.80

Methodology

Date of data source summarization
Last modified
07.04.2023
Author(s)

Manca Ahačič, Maja Martinčič, Katja Rostohar, Lucija Perharič; National institute of public health