Dietary intake of metals by Mumbai adult population

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2006-03, Vol.356 (1), p.62-68
• Main Authors: Raghunath, R., Tripathi, R.M., Suseela, B., Bhalke, Sunil, Shukla, V.K., Puranik, V.D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Diet; Diet, Vegetarian; Dietary intake; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Feeding Behavior; Female; Food Analysis; Food Contamination - analysis; Food toxicology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; India; Male; Medical sciences; Metals; Metals - analysis; Toxicology
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2005.04.035

Daily intake of 12 metals (Na, K, Ca, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Mg, Pb, Cd, Co and Ni) by Mumbai adult population were assessed by analysing duplicate diet samples. These metals were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) and stripping voltammetric techniques. A total of 250 diet samples containing 170 vegetarian diet and 80 non-vegetarian diet collected during April 2003 to March 2004 were analysed during this study. Daily dietary intakes of 2.4 g Na and 1.2 g K were observed for Mumbai adults. Daily dietary intakes of Ca, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn and Mg were 367, 1.0, 6.3, 6.7, 2.0 and 304 mg, respectively. Pb, Cd, Co and Ni intakes by Mumbai adults were 32.3, 2.2, 2.2 and 108 μg/day, respectively. From this study it has been observed that the intake of toxic metals such as Pb, Cd and Ni is much lower than the tolerable daily intake derived from PTWI given by FAO/WHO and could not be considered harmful in this group of subjects. Daily intake of the studied 12 metals was found to be higher in non-vegetarian diet compared to the vegetarian diet ( P < 0.02, 0.01).