title: Korean research project on the integrated exposure assessment of hazardous substances for food safety.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This survey was designed to conduct the first nationwide dietary exposure assessment on hazardous substances including the intakes of functional food and herbal medicine. In this paper, we introduced the survey design and the results of the dietary exposure status and internal exposure levels of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and mercury (Hg).
  
  
  METHODS
  We selected 4867 subjects of all ages throughout Korea. We conducted a food survey, dietary survey, biomonitoring, and health survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pb and Cd were the highest (median value) in the seaweed (94.2 μg/kg for Pb; 594 μg/kg for Cd), and Hg was the highest in the fish (46.4 μg/kg). The dietary exposure level (median value) of Pb was 0.14 μg/kg body weight (bw)/d, 0.18 μg/kg bw/d for Cd, and 0.07 μg/kg bw/d for Hg. Those with a blood Pb level of less than 5.00 μg/dL (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reference value for those 1 to 5 years of age) were 99.0% of all the subjects. Those with a blood Cd level with less than 0.30 μg/L (German Federal Environmental Agency, reference value for non-smoking children) were 24.5%. For those with a blood Hg level with less than 5.00 μg/L (human biomonitoring I, references value for children and adults, German Federal Environmental Agency) was 81.0 % of all the subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The main dietary exposure of heavy metals occurs through food consumed in a large quantity and high frequency. The blood Hg level and dietary exposure level of Hg were both higher than those in the European Union.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Dankook University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji-Ae
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Dankook University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea.
authors.forename: Ho-Jang
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Dankook University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea.
authors.forename: Mina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Statistics, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ho
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Nutrition, Kyung Hee University College of Human Ecology, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Se Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong Seon
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Kangwon National University School of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Ah
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jung-Duck
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Seoub
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.
authors.forename: Seok-Joon
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Sohn
authors.affiliation: Molecular Recognition Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Heesoo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pyo
authors.affiliation: Advanced Analysis Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung Su
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Dongguk University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kwang-Geun
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, Cheongju, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Dae
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Korea Institute of Environment and Health, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sangil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jun
authors.affiliation: Food Risk Analysis Division, National Institute of Food and Drug Safety Evaluation, Cheongwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Myung Sil
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hwang
keywords: Food intake; Hazardous substances; Heavy metal; Integrated dietary exposure assessment; Survey design