title: Dietary intake of lead, cadmium, copper and zinc by children from the German North Sea island Amrum.
abstract: The dietary intake of metals was studied in seven male and seven female children at the age of 1.5 to 5.3 years living in a remote area of Germany, the North Sea island Amrum. The dietary intake of lead and cadmium was measured by a seven-day-duplicate study using atomic absorption spectrometry. The dietary intake of copper and zinc were calculated from food diaries. The median lead and cadmium intakes were 2.1 micrograms/(kgbw x week) [range: 0.63-5.1 micrograms/(kgbw x week)] and 2.7 micrograms/(kgbw x week) [range: 1.7-4.4 micrograms/(kgbw x week)]. The median daily intake of copper and zinc were 1.1 mg/d (range: 0.54-2.5 mg/d) and 5.7 mg/d (range: 2.7-14 mg/d). Compared to the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) of 25 micrograms/(kgbw x week) proposed by the WHO the dietary intake of lead was low. The median amounted to 8.5% and the maximum to 20% of the PTWI. The cadmium intake was comparatively high. The median amounted to 39% and the maximum to 63% of the PTWI [7 micrograms/(kgbw x week)]. The median intake of copper was in the range of the values recommended by the German Society of Nutrition (0.7-1.0 mg/d and 1.0-1.5 mg/d for children at the age of 1-< 4 years and 4-< 7 years). Twenty-three percent of the calculated intakes were below these values. The median intake of zinc however did not reach the recommended dietary intake of 7 and 10 mg/d for children at the age of 1-< 4 years and 4-< 7 years.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Hygiene, Sozial- und Umweltmedizin, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schrey
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wittsiepe
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Budde
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Heinzow
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Idel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wilhelm
mesh_terms: D002104:Cadmium / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003300:Copper / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007854:Lead / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D015032:Zinc / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D002104:Cadmium; D007854:Lead; D003300:Copper; D015032:Zinc