Evaluation of cadmium, mercury and lead intake with daily food rations

Using the data of the Central Statistical Bureau concerning the consumption of about 90 basic food products daily food rations were reproduced as taken by medium-income worker families. The diets were reproduced in Lublin, Olsztyn, Poznań, Warsaw and Wroc?aw determining in them cadmium, mercury and lead by atomic absorption spectrophometry. It was found that weekly intake of cadmium with food rations was in the range from 133 to 189 mcg, that of lead was 504 to 952 mcg, and mercury from 61.6 to 154.0 mcg. The obtained results were not exceeding 50% PTWI for any of these metals but they were rather higher than those in previous years, which indicates increasing contamination of food products with toxic elements. In areas with higher industrialization level the dietary intake of metals was as a rule higher than in areas with lower accumulation of industry.