Wines in the US Exceed EPA Limits for Arsenic and Lead, reveals a study

Most American red wines contain arsenic and lead in amounts that exceed the EPA exposure limit allowed for drinking water. This has been revealed by a University of Washington (UW) study that tested a sample of 65 wines taken from the top four wine producing states in the country.

The study tested wines produced in Washington, California, Oregon, and New York and found that 98% of the wines contained arsenic levels that were well above the EPA standard for drinking water. The study also tested the wines for lead and found that 58% of the samples exceeded EPA drinking water standards.

The UW study analyzed red wine samples instead of white wines, because the grape skins usually contain more heavy metals as compared to pulps. However, there were only two areas in Washington where samples from white wines were taken instead of red, as they were made in areas with relatively higher concentration of arsenic.

Arsenic is a naturally occurring element that is found in inorganic as well as organic substances. The element enters into the vineyard’s soil and water when rain, water, or wind erodes arsenic-containing rocks. Arsenic poisoning leads to various health disorders such as discoloration of skin, neuropathy, and strange skin pigmentation.

Lead consumption is also harmful for individuals. Long-term exposure to lead is associated with different kinds of cancers such as kidney and lung cancer. In addition, it is associated with neurological delays and I.Q. loss in the children.

EPA recommends that arsenic and lead in drinking water should not exceed 10 and 15 parts per billion respectively. However, wine samples tested by UW in the US averaged 24 parts per billion for arsenic. Wines produced in Washington had the highest concentration of arsenic averaging 28 parts per billion, while Oregon’s had the lowest averaging 13 parts per billion.

That being said, a companion study conducted by the same researcher concludes that the health risks from consumption of wine high in arsenic depends on how many other beverages and foods such as rice, apple juice, cereal bars are consumed by the person. The highest risks of arsenic contamination come from certain kinds of formulas made for infants.

The two studies were conducted by UW professor Denise Wilson and will be featured in the October issue of the Journal of Environmental Health.

Wilson says that unless you are a heavy drinker, there will be little, if any, health threat. You shouldn’t be concerned if that is the only source of arsenic in the diet. Consumers need to analyze their diets as a whole. If the diet contains a lot of contaminated food like organic brown rice syrup, rice, apple juice, and seafood, all of which contains high level of arsenic, then it is a cause for concern. This is especially true for children, pregnant women, and elderly persons.

The UW study is one of the first research studies in decades that looked at arsenic content in American wines. American wines had higher arsenic levels as compared to their European counterparts. This is mostly due to the underlying geology of wine growing regions in the U.S.

“My goal is to get people away from asking the question ‘who do we blame?’” Said Wilson. “Instead [it] offers consumers a better understanding of what they’re ingesting and how they can minimize health risks that emerge from their diets.”