Daily dietary intake of elements of nutritional and radiological importance by adult Koreans

Abstract

A one day representative mixed diet of an adult Korean was collectedfrom the data based on the food intake of 108 healthy subjects between theages 20 and 50. Sampling for the Korean total diet was carried out by usinga market basket study based on the Korean standard food consumption schemereported by the Korean Nutrition Society. Average consumption frequency ofdifferent food items for a one day representative mixed diet of an adult Koreanand the amount of each item to prepare a one day Korean representative totaldiet are surveyed. The analytical methods involve both instrumental and radiochemicalneutron activation techniques developed for the determination of the elementsCs, I, Sr, Th and U in various kinds of food samples. Concentrations of traceelements including 5 important elements for radiological protection, U, Th,Cs, Sr and I in the Korean total diet and the 4 most frequently consumed Koreanfoodstuffs have been analyzed by neutron activation analysis. Detection limitsfor U, Th, Sr and I were improved to ppb levels by radiochemical separationafter neutron irradiation. Five biological NIST reference materials were alsoanalyzed for quality control of the analysis. Seventeen trace elements inthe Korean total diet and four Korean representative foodstuffs were alsoanalyzed quantitatively by instrumental neutron activation analysis.