Dietary exposure and health risk assessment for 11 minerals and trace elements in Yaoundé: the Cameroonian Total Diet Study

Abstract

Dietary exposure to 11  elements was assessed by the Total Diet Study (TDS) method. Sixty-four pooled samples representing 96.5% of the diet in Yaoundé, Cameroon, were prepared as consumed before analysis. Consumption data were sourced from a household budget survey. Dietary exposures were compared with nutritional or health-based guidance values (HBGV) and to worldwide TDS results. Elevated prevalence of inadequate intake was estimated for calcium (71.6%), iron (89.7%), magnesium (31.8%), zinc (46.9%) and selenium (87.3%). The percentage of the study population exceeding the tolerable upper intake levels was estimated as <3.2% for calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and cobalt; 19.1% of the population exceeded the HBGV for sodium. No exceedance of the HBGV for inorganic mercury was predicted in the population. The margin of exposure ranged from 0.91 to 25.0 for inorganic arsenic depending on the reference point. The “Fish” food group was the highest contributor to intake for calcium (65%), cobalt (32%) and selenium (96%). This group was the highest contributor to the exposure to total arsenic (71%) and organic mercury (96%). The “Cereals and cereal products” highly contributed to iron (26%), zinc (26%) and chromium (25%) intakes. The “Tubers and starches” highly contributed to magnesium (39%) and potassium (52%) intakes. This study highlights the dietary deficiency of some essential elements and a low dietary exposure to toxic elements in Yaoundé.

Keywords:

• minerals
• essential trace elements
• toxic trace elements
• dietary intake
• dietary exposure
• risk characterisation
• total diet study
• Cameroon

Acknowledgments

The FAO (Nutrition and Consumer Protection Division) funded this study in 2009 (Grant number NU 12/15 CMR-FAO). The authors would like to thank Professor Dominique Baubon, the staff of the Hygiene and Environment Laboratory (Centre Pasteur of Cameroon) and the staff of the Coalition pour la promotion de l’Agriculture Urbaine et Périurbaine en Afrique (CAUPA). Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.