Dietary exposure to metals and other elements in the 2006 UK Total Diet Study and some trends over the last 30 years

Abstract

Concentrations of 24 elements including metals in the 2006 UK Total Diet Study (TDS) were measured and dietary exposures estimated. Composite samples for the 20 TDS food groups (bread, fish, fruit, etc.) were collected from 24 UK towns and analysed for their levels of aluminium, antimony, arsenic, barium, bismuth, cadmium, chromium, copper, germanium, indium, lead, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, palladium, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, selenium, strontium, thallium, tin, and zinc. Concentrations of each of the elements in the food groups were lower than or similar to those reported in the previous TDS survey, conducted in 2000, with the exception of aluminium, barium, and manganese. Dietary exposures to the 24 elements were estimated for UK consumers and compared with previous estimates made over the last 30 years in order to examine any trends in exposure to these elements in the typical UK diet. Population exposures to the elements have generally declined over time, and exposures to most of these elements remain at low levels. The independent UK Government scientific Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) commented on the estimated dietary exposures, taking into account their previous evaluations (in 2003 and 2008), and identified no major concerns for the health of consumers, but did advise that there was a need for more information on aluminium and barium, and also commented that dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic and to lead should continue to be reduced.

Keywords:

• inductively coupled mass spectrometry (ICP/MS)
• Total Diet Studies
• metals analysis–ICP/MS
• risk assessment
• heavy metals
• trace elements (toxic)
• toxic elements
• trace elements

Acknowledgements

The Total Diet Study (TDS) was funded by the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA); and the samples were prepared by LGC, Teddington, UK. The authors gratefully acknowledge the assessment made by the independent UK Government scientific Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment.