Abstract:Objective To investigate the inorganic arsenic exposure of rural residents around a metal smeltry in Guang Xi Province and conduct a health risk assessment to provide basis for the prevention and control of chronic arsenic risks. Method Rice, vegetable, chicken and duck samples planted and fed around a metal smeltry in Guangxi were collected. The samples were analyzed by GB/T 5009.11 (the test method for total arsenic and inorganic arsenic in food). The exposure of inorganic arsenic was calculated by the dietary intake of local people (by food frequency method). The risk assessment of dietary inorganic arsenic was based on the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) of inorganic arsenic (0.015mg/(kgBW?week)) proposed by JECFA to calculate the acceptable daily intake (ADI) of inorganic arsenic per standard person (0.129mg/d). Results The exceeding standard rate of total inorganic arsenic in local agricultural products was 60.29%, the exceeding standard rate of rice was up to 87.10%, with an average of 0.65 mg/kg, the maximum was 15.5 times of the standard; the exceeding standard rate of vegetable was 68.42%, with an average of 0.16 mg/kg; the exceeding standard rate of poultry was 54.76%. The average daily dietary intake, the 90th and the 97.5th percentile of inorganic arsenic intake per standard person per day were 0.2149 mg, 0.390mg and 0.4642mg respectively, which were 1.66, 3.02, 3.6 times of ADI for inorganic arsenic proposed by JECFA. Conclusion The agricultural products in local village around the smeltry were badly polluted by inorganic arsenic. The inorganic arsenic exposure of local residents, especially in high consumption people, is obviously higher than the ADI value. Health risks were existed in that mine area.