Detection of exposition risk to arsenic in Portugal assessed by air deposition in biomonitors and water contamination

Human exposure risk to environmental arsenic is evaluated by combining drinking water and atmospheric deposition, assessed tap water analysis and a moss biomonitoring survey. Water analyses are assessed through mandatory national and European regulations for the supplying areas. Moss concentrations were determined as part of a biomonitoring survey performed at a national level in 2002. For each of the parameters, continuous maps of indicator values were determined applying geostatistical methods, namely indicator kriging. The exposure risk of human populations was determined afterwards combining the indicator values of water and biomonitoring values. The identified regions of accumulated water and atmospheric exposure are in the inland north and central areas of the country.