Abstract
Despite being one of the greatest pleasures in life, food consumption represents a major route for exposure to contaminants which may pose risks to health. It is therefore important to estimate dietary intakes of contaminants to assess and manage risk. We have used different approaches to estimate dietary intakes of various contaminants, such as persistent organic pollutants, radionuclides and toxic elements. Nationwide total diet studies based on a market basket approach, which is useful method of estimation the average dietary intake of contaminants in population groups of interest, have been conducted for a long time. A total diet study using a duplicate diet approach was also conducted to estimate dietary intakes of contaminants. Furthermore, we have conducted a Monte Carlo simulation to obtain information on the distribution of dietary intakes of contaminants. This special issue deals with 3 topics; estimation of dietary intakes of persistent organic contaminants (dioxins and PCBs); radionuclides (cesium-134 and 137); and toxic elements (inorganic As, Pb, Cd, etc.). The presented results are useful for risk assessment as well as to assess the effectiveness of any administrative measures implemented regarding contaminant regulations. I hope that the special issue is helpful for readers interested in estimation of dietary intakes of contaminants.
