Study finds arsenic in many US wines

Denise Wilson, a professor at the University of Washington, recently conducted studies concerning arsenic levels in some foods and beverages. One surprising place she found the toxin was in American wine.

She specifically tested the offerings from vineyards located in the top wine producing regions of the US, which include California, Oregon, Washington, and New York.

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A University of Washington press release notes, "The study looked at red wines, except from two areas in Washington where only white wines were produced, because they are made with the skin of grapes where arsenic that is absorbed from soil tends to concentrate."

Among the 65 wines examined, Wilson learned most contained arsenic levels that exceeded the maximum quantity allowed in drinking water.

That limit is set at 10 parts per billion.

Wines studied all contained concentrations of at least that much, with some testing as high as 76 parts per billion.

Types of wine that have been tainted with high arsenic levels:

Overall, Washington's ranked the highest in arsenic content, while Oregon's came in with the lowest readings.

Rather than going into a state of panic, Wilson advises people simply look at their overall potential arsenic intake.

Alone, moderate wine consumption presents little risk, but that situation can change if other common sources of the toxin figure prominently in diets as well.

Those items include seafood, apple juice, and cereal bars.

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