Use of a food consumption model to estimate human contaminant intake.

A mathematical model is proposed for estimating daily contaminant intake by multiplying three variables related to consumption, from three independent consumption surveys. With lead as an example, the product of the three variables typified the mean and increasing intakes among infants 0-5 months, children 6-23 months and children 2-5 yr of age. Limitations implicit to the approach and the variables were discussed. Daily mean lead intake increased between the three respective age groups, 15, 59, and 82 μg lead. When intake was expressed on a body weight basis (μg lead/kg BW), the rate of daily lead exposure for children 6 to 23 months (6.1) and 2 to 5 yr (5.6) of age was similar but both were higher than the rate for the 0-5 month infant (2.7 μg kg(-1) BW). The 90th percentile daily dietary lead intake for 0-5 month infants was double their mean intake and for children 6 months to 5 yr was one and a half times their corresponding mean intakes. Food sources which contributed to the daily lead intake of the infant differed from those for the two groups of older children.