Assessment of children's exposure to arsenic from CCA-wood staircases at apartment complexes in Florida.

Arsenic exposure from wood treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA) remains a concern due to its presence around homes. This study evaluated children's exposure to As from CCA-treated staircases through determination of bioaccessible soil As and measurements of dislodgeable As on hand railings, steps and surfaces of household objects impacted by CCA-wood leachate. Total As concentrations in 84 soil samples from 4 apartment complexes were elevated at 1.2-66.6 mg/kg with bioaccessible As at 17-84%. Deterministic risk equations were used to estimate daily doses of As in children with estimates ranging from 0.41-54.9 μg/day from ingestion of dislodgeable As. Lifetime average daily doses from ingestion of dislodgeable As and soil ranged from 8.1×10(-6) to 3.0×10(-5) mg/kg/day, with estimated cancer risks being 1.2-4.5×10(-5). Collectively, these results highlight potential health risks in children who have near-daily exposure to As from CCA-wood and are consistent with estimates generated by USEPA's SHEDS-Wood probabilistic exposure model.