Total and Estimated Inorganic Arsenic Levels in Imported and Local Chicken Sold in Trinidad and Tobago

ABSTRACT Arsenic contamination in chicken is a cause of concern because of the potential health problems that may arise. In Trinidad and Tobago, chicken consumption averages about 53.8 kg per person per year, and chicken accounts for 85% of all the meat consumed locally. Fourteen chicken samples of imported, locally grown, and local organically farmed chickens were obtained from poultry depots and local supermarkets and were analyzed in triplicate. The concentration of total arsenic in the imported chicken ranged from below the method detection limit (MDL) to 512.50 μg/kg, and the concentration in the locally produced chicken ranged between <MDL and 516.44 μg/kg. The estimated concentration of inorganic arsenic (iAs) in the imported chickens ranged between <MDL and 333.12 μg/kg, whereas in local chicken it ranged between <MDL and 335.68 μg/kg. The estimated daily intake (EDI) of iAs varies between 0 and 0.72 μg/kg/day. Five of the samples evaluated exceeded the tolerable limit of 0.3 μg/kg of body weight per day as set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. HIGHLIGHTS