Most American Wines Contain Arsenic, Are Drinkers At Risk?
A new analysis of American wines has found almost all contain levels of Arsenic that exceed federal safety standards for drinking water.
The findings, by University of Washington researchers, are based on tests of 65 wines from America’s Top 4 wine-producing states: California, Washington, New York, and Oregon.
All but 1 of the wines tested contained the toxic element, the researchers reported in the Journal of Environmental Health.
The researchers pointed out that the low levels of Arsenic found in the wines may not pose health risks, noting the need for consumers, particularly vulnerable seniors and pregnant women, to be aware that wine may be a contributor to overall exposures to Arsenic, found in a variety of foods, including rice, apple juice, tuna, salmon, and other seafood.
“Unless you are a heavy drinker consuming wine with really high concentrations of Arsenic, of which there are only a few, there is little health threat if that’s the only source of Arsenic in your diet,” said the lead researcher.
“But consumers need to look at their diets as a whole. If you are eating a lot of contaminated rice, organic brown rice syrup, seafood, wine, apple juice, all those heavy contributors to arsenic poisoning, you should be concerned.”
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allows drinking water to contain no more than 10 parts per billion of Arsenic. The wines tested ranged from 10 to 76 parts per billion, with an average of 24 parts per billion.
Arsenic is a naturally occurring element that is toxic.
It can cause skin, lung, and bladder cancers, and other diseases. As rain, rivers or wind erode rocks that contain arsenic, it leaches into water and soil. From there, it can work its way into the food chain.
Washington wines had the highest arsenic concentrations, averaging 28 parts per billion, while Oregon’s had the lowest, averaging 13 parts per billion, the new research found.
There were no statistical differences among Washington, New York, and California, the only Star in the story is Oregon, where Arsenic concentrations were particularly low.
Consumers should not worry that Arsenic in wine is putting them at risk, but should evaluate their diets more holistically and speak with a doctor if they have concerns. Tests are available that can detect high Arsenic levels and tend to capture Arsenic exposure over longer histories than other toxic chemicals.
Consumers need a better understanding of what they ingest, and how they can minimize health risks that emerge from their diets.
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Paul Ebeling
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