Provisional Tolerable Monthly Intake Research Articles

Chemometric Analysis and Human Health Implications of Trace and Heavy/Non-Essential Metals through ingestion of Carbonated and Non-Carbonated Beverages.

Elevated levels of trace metals (TMs) and heavy/non-essential metals (HnMs) in commonly consumed beverages concern the public and regulatory agencies. Thus, frequent monitoring of these metals is critically important. The present study intended to assess TMs and HnMs concentrations and associated health risks in beverages. Ten metals, such as Mn, Co, Cr, Cu, and Zn (TMs) and Ni, Cd, Pb, Al, and As (HnMs), were quantified in different beverage brands categorized into two groups such as non-carbonated and carbonated beverages. Chemometric analysis such as hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), Pearson's correlation coefficient (PCC), and principal component analysis (PCA) were also performed to demonstrate the possible natural and anthropogenic sources of metal contamination. Among the TMs, the mean concentration of Zn (233.3 ± 3.3-291.7 ± 3.2µg/L) followed by Mn (119.0 ± 2.3-146.4 ± 2.2µg/L) was found highest in both carbonated and non-carbonated beverage samples. In the case of HnMs, the lowest mean concentration of Cd (7.4 ± 0.9-18.6 ± 1.2µg/L) followed by Pb (4.1 ± 0.4-4.5 ± 0.4µg/L) was observed in both types of beverage samples. The tolerable dietary intake (TDI) value for Ni and provisional tolerable monthly intake (PTMI) value for Cd were higher than the value established by the WHO and EFSA. The computed values of the hazard index (HI < 1) and the cumulative cancer risk (CCR) indicated a low risk of exposure.

Quantitative determination of selected elements in infant baby formulae and baby food cereals commercially available in Serbia using the ICP OES method

The aim of this paper was the quantitative determination of some macro and trace elements, especially potentially toxic elements in the samples of infant baby formulae and baby food cereals commercially available in Serbia using the inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) method. Among the macro elements, K is the most abundant in all infant formulae samples, followed by Ca, P, Na and Mg. On the other hand, the analysis of food cereals showed that P is presents in the highest contents, followed by K, Ca, Na, and Mg. Potentially toxic elements As, Pb, Hg, and Cd were not detected in any sample of infant formulae, while Cd was detected and quantified in cereal foods. Also, the calculated values of Estimated Tolerable Weekly Intake (ETWI) as well as the Estimated Tolerable Monthly Intake (ETMI) were lower than recommended values for a tolerable weekly intake (TWI) and provisional tolerable monthly intake (PTMI).

Assessment of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk of exposure to potentially toxic elements in tea infusions: Determination by ICP-OES and multivariate statistical data analysis

BackgroundThe perennial evergreen tea (Camellia sinensis) plant is one of the most popular nonalcoholic drinks in the world. Fertilizers and industrial, agricultural, and municipal activities are the usual drivers of soil contamination, contaminating tea plants with potentially toxic elements (PTEs). These elements might potentially accumulate to larger amounts in the leaves of plants after being taken up from the soil. Thus, frequent monitoring of these elements is critically important. MethodsThe present study intended to determine PTEs (Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) in both tea leaves and infusions using ICP-OES. Various multivariate data analysis methods such as principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) were employed to elucidate the potential sources of PTEs contamination, whether from anthropogenic activities or natural origins. Additionally, Pearson's correlation coefficient (PCC) was calculated to assess the relationships between the variables under study. ResultsThe mean contents (mg/L) of all studied elements in tea infusions decreased in order Mn (150.59 ± 1.66) > Fe (11.39 ± 0.99) > Zn (6.62 ± 0.89) > Cu (5.86 ± 0.62) > Co (3.25 ± 0.64) > Ni (1.69 ± 0.23) > Pb (1.08 ± 0.16) > Cr (0.57 ± 0.09) > Cd (0.46 ± 0.09) > Al (0.05 ± 0.008), indicating that Mn exhibits the highest abundance. The mean concentration trend in tea leaf samples mirrored that of infusions, albeit with higher concentrations of PTEs in the former. The tolerable dietary intake (TDI) value for Ni and provisional tolerable monthly intake (PTMI) value for Cd surpassed the standards set by the WHO and EFSA. Calculated hazard index (HI < 1) and cumulative cancer risk (CCR) values suggest negligible exposure risk. ConclusionElevated levels of PTEs in commonly consumed tea products concern the public and regulatory agencies.

Trace elements in bean-to-bar chocolates from Brazil and Ecuador

BackgroundThe high quality and unique flavor and aroma of bean-to-bar chocolates have resulted in an increase in the consumption of these products. Nevertheless, cocoa beans may present inorganic contaminants from environmental and anthropogenic sources which can contribute to contamination of the chocolates, despite the fewer processing steps and few ingredients used in bean-to-bar manufacturing process compared to the industrial one. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the content of trace elements (As, Cd, Co, Cu, Hg, Pb, Se) in bean-to-bar chocolates and traceable cocoa beans from Brazil and Ecuador. MethodsBean-to-bar chocolate samples were acquired in Brazil (n=65) and Ecuador (n=10), considering the main products available: white, milk, semisweet and dark chocolate. Cocoa samples from dedicated farms (n=23) were analyzed for trace elements and inorganic contaminants regulated by Brazil and European agencies. Samples were mineralized using acid digestion (nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide) in a closed microwave-assisted system. Quantification of trace elements was performed using Inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) and Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP OES) in optimized conditions. The analytical control was performed with certified reference materials (ERM BD512 - Dark Chocolate, Tort-2 and Tort-3 - Lobster Hepatopancreas and SRM 1547 - Peach leaves) and recoveries ranged between 84% and 105% for all elements. ResultsThe trace element levels in the bean-to-bar chocolates were (mg/kg): As (<0.022–0.023), Cd (<0.002–0.74), Cu (0.11–21.2), Co (<0.003–1.88), Hg (<0.010-<0.010), Pb (<0.007–0.22), and Se (<0.029–0.35). The exposure assessment from inorganic contaminants in chocolates revealed up to 93% of provisional tolerable monthly intake (PTMI) for Cd and 123% of tolerable upper intake level (UL) for Co for children. Inorganic contaminants were also analyzed in cocoa beans from dedicated farms and Cd and Pb levels were found above the thresholds established by Brazil health agency. ConclusionThe results observed for both bean-to-bar chocolates and raw materials (cocoa beans from dedicated farms) indicated a need for monitoring these trace elements.

Essential and non-essential metals in coconut milk: Determination, chemometric analysis, and risk assessment study

Due to the widespread metal contamination in plant-based foods, food safety is a major global public concern. The growing demand for plant-based beverages in the market has emphasized the need to conduct research on the metal composition of these products. This study aimed to examine the concentrations of essential and non-essential metals in coconut milk collected from a commercial market located in Lahore-Punjab, Pakistan. Twenty samples (10 commercial milk and 10 extracted milk) were analysed using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) after ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). In addition, the current study investigates the distribution, correlation, and chemometric assessment of 13 metals (Mg, Ca, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Al, Cr, Ni, Cd, Pb and Ba). The concentration ranges of essential metals vary over a wide range for Mg (43.8–687.5 mg/L), Ca (127.7–606.5 mg/L), Mn (0.64–22.3 mg/L), Fe (12.4–91.6 mg/L), Co (1.2–5.5 mg/L), Cu (1.9–10.8 mg/L), and Zn (1.3–9.9 mg/L). While, the concentration ranges of non-essential metals vary over a range for Al (0.016–0.093 mg/L), Cr (0.19–0.91 mg/L), Ni (0.11–0.99 mg/L), Cd (0.01–0.02 mg/L), Pb (0.01–0.02 mg/L), and Ba (0.13–0.93 mg/L). Tolerable dietary intake (TDI) values for Cr, Ni and provisional tolerable monthly intake (PTMI) value for Cd were higher than the value established by World Health Organization (WHO) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The higher values of TDI and PTMI indicate that these metals might be harmful to human health through the consumption of coconut milk. The computed values of the target hazard quotient (THQ < 1), the hazard index (HI < 1), and the cumulative cancer risk (CCR) ranged from 8.2 × 10−5 to 1.0 × 10−4 which indicated low risk of exposure to metals through consumption of coconut milk. From a dietary and food safety perspective, the study is important for users of plant-based beverages.

Estimation of dietary intake of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls from the Thai total diet study in 2019

Dietary intakes of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) were assessed in the Thai Total Diet Study (TDS) in 2019. Food samples including portable water (n = 1048) were collected from four regions of Thailand to represent a whole diet of Thai population, prepared as consumed and analyzed. To estimate the dietary intakes of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs, the concentrations in 18 food groups were combined with the respective food consumption from the national consumption data of Thailand and with a mean body weight of 57.57 kg for Thai population aged ≥ 3 years. The dietary intakes of PCDD/Fs, DL-PCBs and ∑PCDD/Fs/DL-PCBs were estimated to be 8.09, 4.93 and 13.02 pg WHO2005-TEQ kg−1 body weight month−1, respectively (upper bound). The major contributors to the total dietary intake were marine animals, followed by milk and milk products, freshwater animals, pork and pork products, and eggs, corresponding to 26, 22, 21, 10 and 9%, respectively. In comparison to health-based guidance value (HBGV), the intake of ∑PCDD/Fs/DL-PCBs (upper bound) was equal to 19% of the provisional tolerable monthly intake set by JECFA in 2001. Moreover, a comparison with other HBGVs was additionally presented and discussed.

Cadmium Exposure in Aquatic Products and Health Risk Classification Assessment in Residents of Zhejiang, China.

Cadmium (Cd) pollution of food safety is a prominent food safety concern worldwide. The concentration of Cd in six aquatic food categories collected from 2018 to 2022 was analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and the Cd exposure levels were calculated by combining the Cd concentration and food consumption data of 18913 urban and rural residents in Zhejiang Province in 2015-2016. The mean Cd concentration was 0.699 mg/kg and the mean Cd exposure of aquatic foods was 0.00951 mg/kg BW/month for the general population. Marine crustaceans were the largest Cd contributor, corresponding to 82.7%. The regional distribution results showed that the average Cd exposure levels of 11 cities did not exceed the provisional tolerable monthly intake (PTMI). According to the subgroups, the Cd mean exposure level of 2-3-year-old children was significantly higher than that of the other age groups but did not exceed the PTMI. Health risk classification assessment demonstrated that the final risk score was six, and the health risk level of Cd exposure in aquatic products in the Zhejiang population was medium. These results demonstrated that the risk of Cd exposure in certain food types or age groups should be given more concern.

Implications of wheat farming in Cd(II) and Pb(II) contaminated red eutrophic Oxisol: an experimental pilot investigation

SummaryThis study aimed (i) to assess the environmental problems of wheat farming in Oxisol with Cd and Pb below the acceptable levels established by national and international regulations, questioning their possible permissiveness; (ii) to investigate the metal distribution in wheat plant organs, and to predict possible implications of cultivation in hazardous conditions; (iii) to assess the grain and flour content of metals and to predict possible implications. The growth of plants, gas exchange parameters, nutritional composition, the yield of grains and metal distribution were evaluated. Cd and Pb are accumulated in different plant organs even when the legislation's limits are respected. 74% of Cd and 96% of Pb are accumulated in roots, while 3% of Cd and &lt;1% of Pb are accumulated in grains. Cd and Pb caused nutritional disorders such as decreased foliar K, Ca, Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn, decreased canopy height, number of tillers, number of spikes, the volume of roots, aerial dry mass and yield of grains. Even if the established limits of Cd are respected, the flour will overtake the provisional tolerable monthly intake established by World Health Organisation. In the evaluated conditions, wheat cultivation in Oxisol within the national standard for Cd could result in hazardous levels in flour.

Probabilistic Risk Assessment of Dietary Exposure to Cadmium in Residents of Guangzhou, China-Young Children Potentially at a Health Risk.

Cadmium (Cd) and its compounds are hazardous environmental pollutants with renal toxicity and human carcinogenicity, with ingestion of contaminated foods representing the major mode of exposure. There have been a number of reports evaluating the Cd content in various foods; however, regarding the actual risk posed by dietary cadmium exposure, only a few reports are available in which single point evaluation (less accurate than multiple point evaluation) was employed. In this study, we used a margin of exposure (MOE) model and @RISK software (for multiple evaluation) to evaluate Cd-related health risk in the local Guangzhou residents at varying ages, through a comparison between the estimated monthly exposures and the provisional tolerable monthly intake (0.025 mg/kg body weight (b.w.)), based on the Cd contents in various food categories available locally (a total of 3964 food samples were collected from each of the 13 districts of Guangzhou between 2015 and 2019), which were determined by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. In this study, Cd was detected in 69.6% of the samples (averaged 0.120 mg/kg), and rice and its products, leafy vegetables, bivalves, and shrimp and crabs contributed most to Cd exposure (8.63, 3.18, 2.79, and 1.48 ng/kg b.w./day, respectively). The MOE values demonstrated the following tendency: the younger age group, the lower MOE, and its 95% confidence range for the (youngest) 3~6 year old group started from 0.92, indicating a health risk of young children, while that for the other age groups were all above 1.0. Our preliminary findings warrant further clarification using biomarker assays in the relevant population.

Health Safety Assessment of Ready-to-Eat Products Consumed by Children Aged 0.5-3 Years on the Polish Market.

Toxic elements have a negative impact on health, especially among infants and young children. Even low levels of exposure can impair the normal growth and development of children. In young children, all organs and metabolic processes are insufficiently developed, making them particularly vulnerable to the effects of toxic elements. The aim of this study is to estimate the concentration of toxic elements in products consumed by infants and young children. The health risk of young children due to consumption of ready-made products potentially contaminated with As (arsenic), Cd (cadmium), Hg (mercury), and Pb (lead) was also assessed. A total of 397 samples (dinners, porridges, mousses, snacks “for the handle”, baby drinks, dairy) were analyzed for the content of toxic elements. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to assess As, Cd, and Pb concentration. The determination of Hg was performed by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). In order to estimate children’s exposure to toxic elements, the content of indicators was also assessed: estimated daily intake (EDI), estimated weekly intake (EWI), provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI), provisional tolerable monthly intake (PTMI), the benchmark dose lower confidence limit (BMDL), target hazard quotient (THQ), hazard index (HI), and cancer risk (CR). The average content of As, Cd, Hg, and Pb for all ready-made products for children is: 1.411 ± 0.248 µg/kg, 2.077 ± 0.154 µg/kg, 3.161 ± 0.159 µg/kg, and 9.265 ± 0.443 µg/kg, respectively. The highest content As was found in wafer/crisps (84.71 µg/kg); in the case of Cd, dinners with fish (20.15 µg/kg); for Hg, dinners with poultry (37.25 µg/kg); and for Pb, fruit mousse (138.99 µg/kg). The results showed that 4.53% of the samples attempted to exceed Pb, and 1.5% exceeded levels of Hg. The highest value of THQ was made in the case of drinks, for Cd and Pb in mousses for children, and Hg for dairy products. The THQ, BMDL, and PTWI ratios were not exceeded. The analyzed ready-to-eat products for children aged 0.5–3 years may contain toxic elements, but most of them appear to be harmless to health.

The content of lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury and tin in fruit and their products based on monitoring studies - exposure assessment.

Fruit and fruit products are important part of our daily diet. In addition to the ingredients necessary for the proper functioning of the body, these products can also be a source of intake elements harmful to human health. Analysis of the results of monitoring studies conducted in Poland in 2015 concerning contamination of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), mercury (Hg) and tin (Sn) in fruit and fruit products and exposure assessment. Approximately 600 samples of fresh, frozen, dried fruits, fruit preserves and canned fruits were tested. The laboratories of State Sanitary Inspection were involved in testing. Accredited and validated analytical methods were used. The test samples were prepared in accordance with the standard PN-EN 13804:2013. The contents of lead, cadmium and tin were determined by using flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) or flameless with electrothermal atomization spectrometry (GFAAS); arsenic by using hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry method (HGAAS) and mercury the "cold vapor" atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS) method. Contamination of investigated samples with elements harmful to human health (Pb, Ca, As, Hg and Sn does not rise concern to human health and was in most cases comparable with contamination reported in other European Union countries. The estimated average exposure of adults and children to lead intake with fruit and fruit products ranged from 0.5% to 14.6% of the respective Benchmark Dose Lower Confidence Limit (BMDL) established by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The mean intake of cadmium with these groups of foodstuffs was in the range 0.3 - 8.5% of the TWI value (Tolerable Weekly Intake) established by EFSA for adults and children (0.1 - 3.6% of the PTMI (Provisional Tolerable Monthly Intake) established by JECFA. In case of arsenic mean intake was in the range 0.5 - 1.6% BMDL whilst for mercury (inorganic form) intake represented 0.5 - 1.4% of TWI value established by JECFA and then confirmed by EFSA. Based on the obtained results, it was found that content of Pb, Cd, As, Hg and Sn in the tested samples of fruit and their products does not pose a risk to consumer health. Estimated exposure of consumers does not exceed tolerable doses established by EFSA and JECFA for these elements.

Cumulative Risk Assessment of Exposure to Heavy Metals through Aquatic Products in China

ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the risk of cumulative exposure to Pb, Cd, Hg, and iAs through aquatic products consumed by Chinese people. MethodsHeavy metal concentration data were obtained from the national food contamination monitoring program during 2013–2017. Consumption data were derived from the China National Food Consumption Survey in 2014 and the relative potency factor (RPF) method was used to estimate cumulative exposure for neurotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. ResultsThe results demonstrated that the cumulative exposure based on neurotoxicity was below the lower confidence limit on benchmark doses of lead (BMDL01) for nephrotoxicity and the cumulative exposures were all lower than the provisional tolerable monthly intake (PTMI) of Cd. However, the margin of exposure values (MOEs) of the cumulative exposures for neurotoxicity in the 2–6 year-old group was close to 1 and the cumulative exposure level for nephrotoxicity accounted for 90.21 % of the PTMI. ConclusionThe cumulative exposures of the 2–6 year-old group to the four heavy metals did not reach (but came close to) the corresponding safety threshold for both neurotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. Given that there are still other food sources of these four heavy metals, it is necessary to more closely study their cumulative health effects.

Pollution status and exposure assessment of lead, cadmium, total mercury and total arsenic in grains on sale from Shaanxi Province, 2002-2018

To investigate the pollution status of lead, cadmium, total mercury and total arsenic in grains sold in Shaanxi Province, and to analyze the potential risk of dietary exposure. A total of 1873 samples of wheat, wheat flour, rice, maize and their products were randomly collected in circulation. The contents of lead and cadmium were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and total mercury and arsenic were determined by atomic fluorescence spectrometry. The pollution status of four elements in grains was evaluated by single factor pollution index method, margin of exposure(MOE) was used to assess lead exposure, cadmium exposure was assessed by the ratio of estimated monthly intake(EMI) to provisional tolerable monthly intake(PTMI), and exposure to mercury and arsenic was assessed using the ratio of estimated weekly intake(EWI) to provisional tolerable weekly intake(PTWI). The average values of lead, cadmium, total mercury and total arsenic in grains sold in Shaanxi Province were 0.070, 0.022, 0.0079 and 0.030 mg/kg. The over-standard rates of lead, cadmium and total mercury were 6.30%, 1.39% and 4.43%. The average single factor pollution index of lead, cadmium, total mercury and total arsenic was less than 0.7; The MOE value of lead in grains was 0.99-18.41, the intake of cadmium in grains accounted for 19.08% of PTMI, and the intake of mercury and arsenic accounted for 10.28% and 10.67% of PTWI. Lead, cadmium, total mercury and total arsenic in all kinds of cereals sold in Shaanxi Province from 2002 to 2018 were less polluted and their intake was within the safe range.

Cadmium exposure as a key risk factor for residents in a world large-scale barite mining district, southwestern China

Cadmium (Cd) contamination is easily generated during the mining and manufacturing of barium (Ba). In this study, concentrations of both Ba and Cd in rice, vegetables, pork, fish, drinking water, and soil samples from an active barite mining district were determined. Daily intakes of Ba and Cd, as well as corresponding health risks, were evaluated. The average total daily exposure doses of Cd were 0.0035 and 0.0012 mg/kg BW/day (geometric mean) in the mining zone (MZ) and the chemical plant zone (PZ), respectively. These values significantly exceed the provisional tolerable monthly intake (25 μg/kg BW/month, equal to 0.00083 mg/kg BW/day). Based on the daily exposure doses, vegetable consumption was the most significant Ba exposure route for residents, contributing around 66.1% of the total exposure. In contrast, rice consumption was the major Cd exposure pathway, accounting for about 85.6% of the total exposure. Although the geometric mean (0.17) and 95th percentile (P95, 0.75) of the total hazard quotient (HQ) for Ba were below the acceptable level (1), suggesting that there were no significant health effects caused by Ba exposure, Cd exposure was associated with significant health risks, with the geometric mean of the HQ (1.7) and the P95 (21) well above the acceptable limit (1), indicating the unacceptable non-carcinogenic risk of Cd exposure. In summary, high Cd exposure risk, rather than Ba, was observed for populations living in a large-scale active Ba mining area.

Health risk assessment of total exposure from cadmium in South China

Heavy metal pollution and hazards are a global major concern. Heavy metals can be directly or indirectly harmful to humans through ingestion, inhalation, and deraml. According to the literature survey, cadmium (Cd) total exposure assessment and health risk assessment were performed in a population group from South China. Results showed that the Cd contents in PM2.5 and vegetables exceeded national standard limits. The same sources of Cd pollution contributed to different media; the main sources were artificial industrial activities such as electroplating, mining and smelting. The average daily dose of Cd via ingestion exceeded the provisional tolerable monthly intake proposed by the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). Multimedia exposure via all three pathways followed the order 0-5-year-old children (3.26 × 10−3 mg kg−1·d−1)>6-17-year-old children (1.46 × 10−3 mg kg−1·d−1)>adults (1.18 × 10−3 mg kg−1·d−1). The exposure from point source pollution was quite different from the results for nonpoint sources. Ingestion was the exposure pathway that contributes the largest proportion of multipathway and multimedia total exposure, accounting for over 99% of the total exposure in different populations. Staple foods, vegetables and meat were the three main exposure media for ingestion. The hazard quotients of multipathway and multimedia exposure to Cd in different populations were 5.57, 2.87 and 2.26, respectively, all at unacceptable risk levels. This study highlights the importance of multipathway and multimedia in the health risk assessment of heavy metal exposure in South China, and provides risk management measures to reduce noncarcinogenic health risks.

Dietary exposure assessment of cadmium of adults in Jiangxi Province in 2016

To evaluate dietary exposure of cadmium and their potential health risks of adults in Jiangxi Province. The concentration data of cadmium of 11 kinds of foods were obtained from food safety monitoring in Jiangxi Province in 2012-2017. The food consumption data was obtained from food consumption survey in Jiangxi Province in 2016. Based on the deterministic assessment model, the dietary exposure of cadmium of adults in Jiangxi Province was calculated. The average dietary exposure of cadmium was 18. 426 μg/kg per month, accounting for 73. 7% of the provisional tolerable monthly intake(PTMI). The large portion exposure(P95) of cadmium was 29. 724 μg/kg per month, accounting for 118. 9% of PTMI. The average and the large portion(P95) dietary exposure range of cadmium in different age groups were 16. 224-19. 774 and 24. 059-33. 387 μg/kg per month, respectively. It was indicated that the main dietary sources of cadmium were rice and vegetables, which were contributed more than 92% of total dietary exposure of cadmium. The potential health risks caused by dietary exposure to cadmium of adults in Jiangxi Province was at an acceptable level. But there were some potential health risks in high exposure population.

Spatiotemporal patterns of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in foodstuffs in air quality regions in Taiwan.

High-fat food intake is the main source of dioxin-like compounds for humans, such as consumption of meat, dairy and eggs, and seafood products. Fruits, vegetables, and cereals have relatively low levels of dioxin-like compounds, but because of high consumption they also contribute to the food-borne intake. It is necessary to clarify dietary dioxin exposure affected by different food contamination levels and dietary habits among different geographic areas. We aimed to evaluate chronic dietary PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs exposure in 725 individual foods in 14 categories in 6 Taiwan air quality regions (AQRs) and a total of 2441 foods from 2004 to 2018. We estimated daily PCDD/Fs + DL-PCBs intake on the basis of sex- and age-specific foodstuff ingestion rate and PCDD/Fs+ DL-PCBs concentrations using a probabilistic approach. PCDD/F+ DL-PCB levels among the different sampling periods exhibited a decreasing trend in fish and aquatic products (from 0.384 ± 0.764 to 0.206±0.223pgWHO05-TEQg−1 w.w.) (p for trend=0.043), livestock products (from 0.133±0.298 to 0.035±0.043 pgWHO05-TEQ g−1 w.w.), eggs (from 0.221 ± 0.373 to 0.056 ± 0.048 pgWHO05-TEQ g−1 w.w.) (p for trend = 0.002), and dairy samples (from 0.066 ± 0.075 to 0.024 ± 0.026 pgWHO05-TEQ g−1 w.w.) (p for trend= 0.001). All lifetime average daily doses (LADD) were below provisional tolerable monthly intake (PTMI) but higher than the TWI for PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs in food. The percentages of the contribution of each food group to the total dietary intake of TEQPCDD/F+PCB in different ambient air dispersion areas and age groups. The total daily intake of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs by Taiwanese differed between AQRs (0.188–0.397 pgWHO05-TEQ kg−1 b.w. day−1). The observed geographical variations were likely due to differences in food habits, cuisines, culture and levels of environmental contamination among various regions in Taiwan. By sensitivity analysis, we have identified the major contribution to LADD, which was the dioxin levels in marine fish, fresh water fish and fish related products, and followed by dioxin levels in duck eggs. In addition, marine and freshwater fish consumption rate accounts more than 10.2%. These major exposure variables was also consistent with the findings of total daily intake in different AQRs.

Free and bound amino acids, minerals and trace elements in matcha (Camellia sinensis L.): A nutritional evaluation

This study provides an overview of free and bound amino acids, minerals and trace elements content in matcha including evaluation of their dietary intakes. The analyses employed IEC and ICP-MS methods. Theanine followed by Glu, GABA, Thr and Me were the most abundant free amino acids. Considering bound amino acids, Glu, Asp, Leu, Lys, Arg and Val were the most frequent. The amino acid score (AAS) for matcha (40.2 %) is comparable to the AAS for wheat and sunflower proteins. Ile and Thr were evaluated as limiting amino acids. Regarding recommended daily allowance (RDA), the contributions of Cys and Met were up to 8%. Matcha is contributor to Adequate Intake (AI) or RDA for males in the following order: Mn (up to 15 %) > Cu > Fe (up to 7%). Similarly, for females, matcha contributes to RDA or AI values in this order: Mn (up to 19 %) > Cu > Zn (up to 5%). It has not been proved that matcha is a significant source of Se and Cr. A daily serving portion of 5 g does not contribute to PTWI (Provisional tolerable weekly intake) and PTMI (Provisional tolerable monthly intake) for Al, Sn, Cd and Hg.

Concentrations and Health Risk Assessment of Metallic Trace Elements in Ready-to-Eat Braised and Flamed Chickens in Burkina Faso.

Braised and flamed chickens known as "poulet bicyclette" are famous and popular street food in Burkina Faso. Although they are important sources of a wide range of essential trace elements for humans, they can also contain toxic metals. The aim of the study was to assess the concentrations and health risk of metallic trace elements (Ag, Cr, Cu, Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, Ni, Cd, Pb) in ready-to-eat braised and flamed chickens in Burkina Faso. The concentrations and health risk assessment were estimated by atomic absorption spectrometry and hazard quotient method, respectively. The concentrations of Cu (3.12mgkg-1), Fe (20.17mgkg-1), and Ni (0.22mgkg-1) were about 2 times higher in flamed chickens than in braised ones. Cd (0.45mgkg-1) and Cr (2.50mgkg-1) were 2 to 5 times more concentrated in braised chickens than flamed chickens. Pb was found in 72.72% of braised chicken and 62.06% of flamed chicken samples, above the maximum limit set by the JECFA. The daily intakes of Cu, Mn, Fe, and Zn contributed for less than 2% to the recommended daily intakes set by the Institute of Medicine of USA for both males and females, whereas Cr contributed for more than 20% from braised chicken. The estimated monthly intakes of Cd represented about 1.92-4.06% of the provisional tolerable monthly intake of Cd set by FAO/WHO. A non-cancer risk estimated as hazard index has been recorded at the maximum level of consumption for female consumer group for flamed chicken (HI = 2.14). The estimated cancer index risk in this study is below the reference value (10-4) set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA).

Dietary cadmium exposure assessment in rural areas of Southwest China.

Dietary exposure of cadmium (Cd) has not been studied in Southwest China. The objective of the study was to determine the pollution characteristics and contamination levels in various agriculture products in Southwest China and to conduct a comparison of dietary exposure assessment of Cd in polluted and non-polluted areas. Results showed that the mean Cd contents in rice were 0.53 and 0.52 mg/kg in the high-polluted and low-polluted areas, respectively, with the average value was 0.03 mg/kg in the control area. The mean dietary Cd exposure from rice and vegetables of the selected non-occupational residents in Southwest China was 113.10 μg/kg bodyweight (bw)/month, 88.80 μg/kg bw/month, and 16.50 μg/kg bw/month in the high-polluted, low-polluted, and control areas, respectively, which correspond to 4.5 times, 3.6 times, and 0.66 times of the provisional tolerable monthly intake (25 μg/kg bw/month) established by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. The findings indicated that the risk for Cd exposure of residents was high due to home-grown food (most especially rice) being near polluted areas and is of great concern.