Open AccessThe dietary intake of chemical residues in Brisbane adults
Author(s) -
Harvey Philip W. J.,
Marks Geoffrey C.,
Heywood Peter F.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.946
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1753-6405
pISSN - 1326-0200
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-842x.1998.tb01186.x
Subject(s) - environmental health , pesticide residue , population , dieldrin , agriculture , national health and nutrition examination survey , medicine , toxicology , food science , pesticide , biology , agronomy , ecology
The purpose of this work was to integrate existing chemical residue and food consumption data for individuals to improve estimates of the dietary intake of chemical residues in the population of Brisbane. Previous estimates of intakes from the Australian Market Basket Survey (AMBS) have been based on energy‐adjusted ’hypothetical national diets’ and so allow no assessment of variation in intakes between individuals or groups. Data on concentrations of fenitrothion, chlorpyrifosmethyl, pirimiphos‐methyl, heptachlor and dieldrin in selected foods were taken from reports of the AMBS. Food consumption data were based upon the National Dietary Survey of Adults (NDSA) 1983; the same data from which the hypothetical diets are derived. The distribution of estimated 24‐hour intakes was adjusted to represent usual intakes. Mean intakes of all residues were about one third those reported previously. None of the observed diets contained levels of residues that were greater than the Acceptable Daily Intakes. These findings support reassurances to the public that residues of agricultural chemicals monitored in the AMBS do not pose a health risk.