Age Dependent Values of Dietary Intake for Assessing Human Exposures to Environmental Pollutants

Abstract

Detailed information concerning human food consumption patterns necessary for relating pollutant body burdens to environmental contamination levels was compiled to be used in lieu of site-specific data for calculating health impacts arising from the ingestion of food containing various levels of such pollutants as radionuclides, toxic heavy metals, insecticides and many others. Impact assessments for which food ingestion data is necessary may include pollutants from such diverse sources as mine tailings; construction and operation of power plants (coal, nuclear, gas, geothemol, etc.); recovery of uranium from phosphoric acid; decontamination and decommissioning of nuclear facilities; food additives; industrial and agricultural activities; and methods of disposal of various kinds of waste materials.This paper examines available data on human food consumption rates and estimates dietary intake rates by individuals of various ages. Ingestion parameters include intake rates of water and other beverages, milk, vegetables, fruits, meat, poultry, grain and fish. Information was analyzed from documented surveys of individuals within households and from interviews and personal communications. Although average intake rates are often the only data reported in the literature, ranges as well as averages are included in this paper whenever possible.Various results are tabulated including per capita food consumption in 1955 and 1965 and changes in per capita consumption as well as changes by urbanization. Details of milk consumption are presented by selected sex-age groups. Solid food intake is given by age group. Market basket quantities of foods consumed daily are also tabulated.

Remedial investigation/feasibility study for the Clinch River/Poplar Creek operable unit. Volume 3. Appendix E

“…The maximum value is based upon data reported by Muller and Prohl (1993) in which an average daily value of leafy vegetables consumed by a child would be 74 &day. These values are also consistent with values reported in Rupp (1979).…”

“…The upper bound for the ingestion of beef was determined by assuming that an E -417 avid meat lover would not consume more than 125 kg/yr (approximately 12 ounces of beef every day of the year). These values are consistent with survey ranges reported in Rupp (1979).…”

“…A review of several publications was conducted (Hoffman and Baes, 1979;Hoffman et al, 1982;ICRP, 1975;NCRP, 1984; Rupp, 1979; USEPA, 1991), and the subjective probability distributions derived for each of the human intake parameters are consistent with the values reported in the reviewed literature. Because each value is equally likely to be the true but unknown rate of intake, a uniform distribution was used to represent the uncertainty.…”

“…A review of several publications was performed (Rupp, 1979;Miiller and Prohl, 1993;Yang and Nelson, 1986;SAIC, 1993) in order to obtain the intake of various food products by children. The subjective probability distributions derived for each of the child's intake parameters are consistent with the values reported in the reviewed literature.…”

“…The upper bound for the ingestion of non-leafy vegetables by a child was determined by assuming a child who loves vegetables would not consume more than 44 kg/yr (approximately 4.3 ounces of non-lea@ vegetables every day of the year). The lower bound was based on the study reported by Rupp (1979) in which an average value of 80 g/day of non-leafy vegetables was reported to be consumed by a child. The upper bound was based on data reported by Muller and Prohl (1993), in which an average daily intake of 95 @day was reported to be consumed of nonleafy vegetables by a child.…”