Feeding Each year U.S. hospitals and long- roxarsone are combinations that also term care facilities buy poultry, mostly include an antibiotic and an anti-par- Arsenic chicken, worth millions of dollars. At asitic drug called an ionophore. While the same time, U.S. poultry companies chicken producers sometimes claim to Poultry routinely and unnecessarily use arsenic arsenic in poultry feed is used to control in raising their birds. Voluntary arsenic parasites (coccidiosis), roxarsone itself is use in animal feeds imposes an unnec- not FDA-approved as anti-parasitic. Is This Good essary risk to the health of Americans and the environment that sustains us. Risks to human Medicine? The U.S. purchases more commercial arsenic than any other country.1 and ecosystem health Widespread, voluntary use of arsenic Arsenic’s toxicity has been recognized feed additives creates unnecessary for millennia—its name comes from risks: risks for people who eat chicken; the Greek, meaning “potent.”2 Arsenic risks to communities near chicken causes cancer, even at the low levels farms; risks to water and soil quality; currently found in our environment.3,4 and risks to people with infections Arsenic exposure also contributes to requiring treatment with antibiotics. birth defects, declines in intellectual ■■ Meat from chickens fed arsenic function, diabetes and heart disease.5,6,7 can carry arsenic residues, which add to a person’s total risk from Arsenic use in agriculture arsenic-caused disease.12,13 Arsenic The Food and Drug Administration is also approved as a turkey feed approves arsenic’s use as an additive to additive, but we are unaware of poultry feed. This practice has never data confirming its use in turkey been approved as safe in the 25 coun- production or its detection in tries of the European Union. turkey meat. ■■ Up to three-quarters of arsenic in According to estimates,8 at least 70 per- feed will pass through chickens into cent of the broiler chickens raised an- the estimated 26 to 55 billion nually in the U.S. (8.7 billion in 2005) pounds of chicken litter or waste are fed arsenic—typically a compound created in the U.S. annually.14 called roxarsone (3-nitro-4-hydroxyphe- Around 90 percent of chicken nylarsonic acid).* However, no public waste currently is applied to fields authority in the U.S. tracks exactly and cropland as “fertilizer.”15,16,17 how much arsenic is added to chicken Poultry litter containing arsenic feed. Based on the best available data, also is fed as a protein source to however, annual roxarsone use can be beef cattle.18,19 So, the legal practice estimated at 1.7-2.2 million pounds.9,10,11 of feeding arsenic to poultry can The FDA approves roxarsone use for a add to the arsenic contamination of variety of purposes: growth promotion, other foods as well. feed efficiency and improved pigmenta- ■■ Incineration of arsenic-containing tion. Many feed additives containing poultry waste is currently being

Organic or Inorganic Arsenic: Does it Matter? Arsenic exists in various forms, both organic and inorganic. Recent science calls into question the presumption that organic arsenics, like roxarsone, necessarily pose fewer risks than inorganic arsenics from the earth’s crust, which contaminate many drinking water systems. Once ingested by animals, roxarsone can be degraded into inorganic forms of arsenic (arsenite and arsenate) within the animal’s digestive tract and in animal waste (Sapkota et al. 2007; Arai et al. 2003; Stolz et al. 2007). Arsen- ite and arsenate are both known to cause cancer in humans.(NAS 1999; NAS 2001) .

* Other FDA-approved arsenical additives to poultry feed include arsanilic acid, nitarsone, and carbarsone. This publication is part of Going Green: A Resource Kit for Pollution Prevention in Health in Health Prevention Pollution Kit for A Resource Green: Going is part of This publication Pub 8-06 a to get out how kit, or to find in the included publications this or other of copies For additional Care. at www.noharm.org/goinggreen. Web on the Harm Without Care complete kit, visit Health 19, 2007 June This version: promoted as a “renewable” source of That is, we intentionally and routinely By making arsenic use a criterion in energy.20 This questionable practice expose bacteria in food animals to a their purchase of poultry meat, hospi- will contribute to air pollution from variety of things that will promote tals and health care systems can realize toxics and heavy metals such as resistance. important benefits: arsenic contained in the waste. ■■ they can help ensure that patients, ■■ 70-90 percent of arsenic in poultry Arsenic: unexplored staff and other clients are eating litter becomes water soluble, chicken with reduced levels of meaning it can readily migrate cumulative risks arsenic; through soils and into underlying Arsenic has been mined from the earth’s ■■ because arsenic use in chicken 21,22 groundwater. Routine roxarsone crust, and then intentionally used for production contributes to the use in chicken feed likely adds to all sorts of commercial reasons. Use overall arsenic contamination of the already significant public of arsenic as a pesticide on crops, now the environment, these facilities health burden from arsenic- banned, has contaminated fertile, food- can help reduce their communities’ contaminated drinking water producing land, and created Superfund risks from arsenic-induced disease 23,24 supplies. According to the EPA, sites where many pesticide manufactur- more generally; 13 million Americans drink water ing facilities once stood. Wood products ■■ contaminated with arsenic beyond treated with arsenical pesticides—now our current industrial system of 25 meat production is characterized

s T his G oo d e? Med icin the safety standard of 10 ppb. banned—led to children being exposed by many practices that contribute ■■ to hazardous levels as they played on Exposing chickens routinely to to systemic negative impacts on arsenic may spur creation of arsenic-treated playground equipment and wood decks. Disposal hazards from public health and chronic bacteria in those chickens that are 34,35,36 this longstanding use remain. disease. By opting for chicken resistant to multiple antibiotics, in raised using more sustainable, y: tr y: I addition to the arsenic. Many foodstuffs, especially seafood, arsenic-free practices, health care contain arsenic derived from its oc- facilities can send an important Arsenic use promotes currence in groundwater or seawater. signal to the marketplace and antibiotic resistance Survey data also suggest that U.S. rice change food production practices may carry 40 percent to 5-times higher to ones that protect public health. Bacteria live in animal guts, as in arsenic levels than rice from Europe, o ul P to ours. From Darwin, we understand India or Bangladesh, possibly due to Other aspects of poultry production that conditions will select for the historic use of arsenical pesticides on besides arsenic use deserve greater at- most resistant bacteria (natural those same fields.31 To the total in- tention. See our Purchaser’s Guide to selection) when that trait allows the take of arsenic in the American diet, Sourcing Sustainable Poultry and Poul- latter to outcompete their non- arsenic-contaminated poultry makes a try Primer, www.HealthyFoodinHealth- resistant cousins. They can develop significant—and apparently prevent- Care.org, for a comprehensive overview. resistance to metals, like arsenic, able—contribution.32 routinely put into animal feed just as Possible next steps they develop resistance to routine Thus, voluntary arsenic use in poultry for your health care only adds to the so-far uncounted cu- antibiotics put there for many of the mulative risk from our many exposures institution same reasons.26,27 The individual to arsenic, from both natural and ■■ Ask your GPO to develop contracts genes—pieces of DNA—that confer man-made sources. Similarly, cumula- bacteria with resistance to antibiotics requiring suppliers to supply only Feed ing A rs e nic tive health risks from the multiple poultry that is raised without and heavy metals, respectively, can be metals legally added to U.S. animal arsenic-containing compounds. physically linked on larger pieces of feeds—including copper, manganese, ■■ DNA that bacteria often swap with magnesium, zinc, and metal amino acid Many food distributors have private label poultry products. Hospitals one another. complexes, as well as arsenic—are not can ask distributors to supply assessed.33 poultry raised without arsenic. What this means is that exposing ■■ bacteria to arsenic in feed can inadver- Some hospitals contract with A role for health care companies to manage their food tently cause an increase in antibiotic It clearly is possible to raise poultry service, such as Sodexho, resistance as well. Infectious disease without arsenic. European officials Morrison, Aramark and others. concerns are heightened by the fact have never allowed its use in poultry Hospitals can ask these that poultry producers routinely use production, and some of the largest management companies to source feed additives that include both anti- U.S. producers now state they have only poultry raised without biotics and arsenic components.28,29,30 ended the practice. arsenic. More broadly, health care

2 food service companies could 14 Nachman KE, Graham JP, Price LB, et al. 2005. 28 Sapkota AR et al. 2006. commit to serving only poultry raised Arsenic: A Roadblock to Potential Animal 29 Summers AO 2002. Waste Management Solutions Environ Health 30 Liu J, Chen H, Miller DS, Saavedra JE, Keefer without antimicrobials, including Perspect 113:1123–1124. antibiotics. LK, Johnson DR, et al. 2001. Overexpression of 15 Weaver T. 1998. Managing poultry manure glutathione S-transferase II and multidrug ■■ For meetings of their professional reduces runoff. Poultry production and product resistance transport proteins is associated with associations, nurses, physicians, safety research. University of acquired tolerance to inorganic arsenic. Mol Arkansas,Fayetteville, Ark. dieticians and other health care Pharmacol 60:302–309. 16 Food and Drug Administration. 2001. Presented professionals can require conference 31 Williams, P.N., Price, A. H., Raab, A., Hossain, at FDA Public Hearing, Kansas City, Mo., S.A., Feldmann, J., and Meharg, A. A., Variation centers to source only poultry raised October 30, on animal feeding regulation, in arsenic speciation and concentration in paddy without the use of arsenic. [Online.] www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dailys/01/ rice related to dietary exposure. Environ. Sci. Nov01/110501/ts00014.doc. U.S. Food and Drug Technol. 2005, 39, 5531-5540. ■■ Ask the FDA to withdraw its Administration, Washington, D.C.This source approval of arsenic feed additives as offers a somewhat different estimate of litter dry 32 Lasky T et al. 2004. an unnecessary public health risk. matter generated of 11.2 billion pounds 33 Sapkota AR, Lefferts LY, McKenzie S, Walker annually. This is lower than Weaver’s estimate, P. 2007. What Do We Feed to Food-Production even accounting for the 20-25 percent lower Animals? A Review of Animal Feed weight of dry litter as compared to manure. Ingredients and Their Potential Impacts on Human Health. Environ Health Perspect 17 Cabrera ML, Sims JT. 2000. Beneficial use of References 115:663–670. poultry byproducts: Challenges and 1 Jones FT. 2007. A Broad View of Arsenic. opportunities. In J.F. Power and W.A. Dick (ed.) 34 Horrigan L, Lawrence RS, Walker P. 2002. Poult Sci 86(1): 2-14 2007. Land application of agricultural, industrial, and How Sustainable Agriculture Can Address the 2 Mead MN. 2005. Arsenic: In Search of an municipal byproducts. SSSA, Madison, WI. Environmental and Human Health Harms of Industrial Agriculture Environ Health Perspect Antidote to a Global Poison. Env Health 18 FDA Press Release. 2004. Expanded “mad cow” 110:445–456. Perspect 113:A378-86. safeguards announced to strengthen existing 3 The National Academy of Sciences’ National firewalls against BSE transmission. Rockville, 35 Walker P, Rhubart-Berg P, McKenzie S, Research Council. 1999. Arsenic in Drinking MD. Available: http://www.fda.gov. Kelling K, Lawrence RS. 2005. Public health Water. National Academy Press: Washington, implications of meat production and 19 FDA Press Release. 2005. FDA Proposes DC. www.nap.edu. consumption. Public Health Nutrition: Additional ‘’Mad Cow’’ Safeguards. Rockville, 8(4):348–356. 4 The National Academy of Sciences’ National MD. Available: http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ Research Council. 2001. Arsenic in Drinking news/2005/new01240.html [accessed 20 36 Nalyor R, Steinfeld H, Falcon W, Galloway J, Water: 2001 Update. National Academy Press: February 2006] Smil V, Bradford E, Alder J, Mooney H. 2005. Washington, DC. www.nap.edu. Losing the Links Between Livestock and Land. 20 Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. 2002. Science 310:1621-22. 5 NAS 1999. Air Emission Permit No. 15100038- 001 Is 6 NAS 2001. Issued To Fibrominn LLC, For The Facility At 900 Industry Drive, Benson, Minnesota. Written by: 7 Wasserman GA, Liu X, Parvez F. 2004. Water Accessed October 31, 2005 at http://www.pca. Arsenic Exposure and Children’s Intellectual state.mn.us/air/permits/issued/permits-cg.html. David Wallinga, M.D. Function in Araihazar, Bangladesh. Environ Director, Food and Health Program Health Perspect 112:1329-1333. 21 Jackson BP, Bertsch PM, Cabrera ML, Camberato JJ, Seaman JC, Wood CW. 2003. Institute for Agriculture and Trade 8 Chapman HD, Johnson ZB. Poultry Sci. Trace element speciation in poultry litter. J Policy 2002. 81:356-364. Environ Qual 32:535–540. This fact sheet is based on a longer report, 9 Wallinga D. 2006. Playing Chicken: Avoiding 22 Garbarino JR, Bednar AJ, Rutherford DW, Playing chicken: Avoiding arsenic in your Arsenic in Your Meat. Institute for Agriculture Beyer RS, Wershaw RL. 2003. Environmental meat, available at http://www.iatp.org/ and Trade Policy. Accessed May 23, 2007 at Fate of Roxarsone in Poultry Litter. I. foodandhealth www.iatp.org. Degradation of Roxarsone during Composting. 10 Mellon M, Benbrook C, Benbrook KL. Environ. Sci. Technol 37:1509-1514. More resources are available at 2001. Hogging It: Estimates of 23 Nachman KE et al. 2005. Antimicrobial Abuse in Livestock. Union 24 Arai Y, Lanzirotti A, Sutton S, Davis JA, Sparks www.healthyfoodinhealthcare.org. of Concerned Scientists. Accessed May 23, DL. 2003. Arsenic speciation and reactivity in 2007 at www.ucsusa.org/publications. poultry litter. Environ Sci Technol 37:4083–4090. 11 Momplaisir, G.M; C.G. Rosal; E.M. Heithmar 25 Office of Water. Fact Sheet on the Arsenic 1901 North Moore St. “Arsenic Speciation Methods for Studying Rule. Environmental Protection Agency. Suite 509 the Environmental Fate of Organoarsenic Accessed May 31, 2007 at http://www.epa.gov/ Arlington, VA 22209 Animal-Feed Additives,” U.S. EPA, NERL- safewater/arsenic/pdfs/ars_final_app_n.pdf. Phone: 703.243.0056 Las Vegas, 2001; (TIM No. 01-11) available Fax: 703.243.4008 at http://www.epa.gov/nerlesd1/chemistry/ 26 Sapkota AR, Price LB, Silbergeld EK, Schwab www.noharm.org labmonitor/labresearch.htm. KJ. 2006. Arsenic resistance in Campylobacter spp. isolated from retail poultry products. Appl [email protected] 12 Lasky T, Sun W, Kadry A, Hoffman MK. 2004. Environ Microbiol. 72(4):3069-71. Mean total arsenic concentrations in chicken This publication is part of Going Green: A Resource Kit for Pollution 1989-2000 and estimated exposures for consumers 27 Summers AO. 2002. Generally overlooked Prevention in Health Care. For additional copies of this or other publications included in the kit, or to find out how to get a complete of chicken. Environ Health Perspect 112:18-21. fundamentals of bacterial genetics and ecology. Clin Infect Dis. 34 (Suppl 3):S85-92. Available kit, visit Health Care Without Harm on the Web at www.noharm.org. 13 Wallinga D. 2006. at: http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/CID/ journal/issues/v34nS3/020124/020124.htm.

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