Abstract-The present study follows arsenic (As) transfer through the chain of soil-vine-leaves-grapes-wine to assess the possible risk of arsenic intake related to consuming grapes and wines produced in 10 vineyards located in a mining area rich in this element. The results are compared with date from 18 uncontaminated areas. In the soil, the content of As extracted with acqua regia and that extracted with ammonium acetate, were analyzed. Leaves and berries were analyzed after washing with acidified aqueous solution and acid mineralization in a closed vessel, whereas wines were simply diluted before analysis. All analyses were performed using an inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometer. The aqua regia extractable As concentration in soil ranged from 3.7 to 283 mg/kg, whereas available As varied from 18 to 639 mg/kg, and As total concentration ranged from 16.3 to 579 mg/kg dry weight in leaves and from <0.1 to 36.8 mg/kg dry weight in grapes. Arsenic levels in wines were always below 1.62 mg/L, with higher concentration in red wines than in white wines. Significant and positive correlations between the As concentrations in soils, leaves, and berries are highlighted, with the samples collected near the mining area having significantly higher values. Nevertheless, As levels in wines were always well below the limit (200 mg/L) suggested by the International Organization of Vine and Wine. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2013;32:773-779. # 2013 SETAC

Background and Aims Grape maceration plays an important role in the formation of precursors of 3‐mercaptohexan‐1‐ol (3MH), 3‐S‐glutathionyl mercaptohexan‐1‐ol (GSH‐3MH) and 3‐S‐cysteinyl mercaptohexan‐1‐ol (Cys‐3MH), but its contribution is still not well understood. The aim of this paper was to study the effect of oxygen deprivation on the concentration of these 3MH precursors during skin‐contact maceration in two grape cultivars. Methods and Results Müller‐Thurgau (n = 19) and Sauvignon Blanc (32) grapes from Trentino (Italy) were hand harvested and processed under the following conditions: reductive (air protected; 80 mg/kg sulfur dioxide, 80 mg/kg L‐ascorbic acid, and 200 mg/kg dimethyl dicarbonate) and oxidative (no addition of adjuvants and air contact). After maceration, GSH‐3MH and Cys‐3MH were analysed by liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry and isotopic dilution. Conclusions Both GSH‐3MH and Cys‐3MH were identified for the first time in Müller‐Thurgau juices. Oxidative maceration increased the GSH‐3MH concentration in 16 out of 19 Müller‐Thurgau and in 23 out of 32 Sauvignon Blanc juices, while Cys‐3MH was higher in 13 and 20 juices, respectively, of the two cultivars. Parametrical and non‐parametrical statistical tests confirmed that oxidative maceration of Müller‐Thurgau increased GSH‐3MH concentration significantly (P < 0.01). Significance of the Study This work highlights the complexity of the mechanisms involved in the potential de novo formation of thiol precursors.

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