Search Results
Abstract
The health food Angelica keiskei, planted and consumed as an oriental herb, was sampled from five farms in Taiwan. The determination of minor and trace elements identified in the roots, fresh leaves and stems of the plant, as well as in end-products such as tea bags and capsules, is essential for estimating the recommended daily intake for ensuring optimum health safety. Samples were homogenized prior to freeze-drying, and were irradiated with a neutron flux at about 2.0.1012 n.cm-1.s-1. A total of 17 elements were analyzed using INAA. In the collected samples the elements exist in widely differing concentrations, ranging from 105 to 10-2 mg/g for different farms. We found that aluminum is more highly concentrated in roots than in any other part of the plant. Selenium was the only element analyzed down to 10-1 mg/g in the leaves. Meanwhile, arsenic was also found in the roots and stems at levels of nearly 10-2 mg/g. The elemental concentrations and maximum daily intake (MDI) of this herb are compared with those of Angelica sinensis (Danggui in Mandarin), Ligusticum chuanxiony (Chuanxiong in Mandarin) and Panax ginseng (Ginseng in Mandarin) as well as with the recommended daily dietary intake values for Taiwanese consumers, developed by the WHO.
Abstract
Uranium (238U) and thorium (232Th) concentrations were evaluated in different cereal, fruit and vegetable samples by using a method based on the calculation of the detection efficiencies of the emitted a-particles by CR-39 and LR-115 type II solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTD) and measuring the resulting track densities. The influence of the soils on which the plants grow, and the fertilizers used was investigated. Total daily intakes of 238U and 232Th for a typical food basket were estimated to be 1.16 Bq.d-1 and 0.94 Bq.d-1, respectively, corresponding to a total committed effective dose of 0.27.10-7 Sv.d-1. Annual committed effective doses due to 238U and 232Th originated from the ingestion of different foodstuffs were evaluated for the adult members of the population by using the ICRP ingestion dose coefficients.
Abstract
It is known that in the Turkish soil Se and Zn concentrations are somewhatlower than in other countries. Lower zinc intake causes significant healthproblems mostly at rural areas. Six different population groups, total of55 subjects, consisting of children, people from rural areas, university studentsand staff members were selected and diet samples were collected by duplicateportion technique. Bread and flour samples were collected from six differentbakeries in Ankara. Zinc, selenium and other trace elements in these sampleswere analyzed mostly by INAA. Daily dietary zinc intake differs among differentgroups, ranging 5–13 mg Zn/day, and for all cases, it is lower thanRDA value of 15 mg Zn/day. Similarly, selenium daily intake is around 20–53µg Se/day, which is also lower than RDA value of 55–70 µgSe/day.
Abstract
A study was conducted to estimate the thorium concentration in locally grown vegetables in high background radiation area (HBRA) of southern coastal regions of India. Locally grown vegetables were collected from HBRA of southern coastal regions of India. Thorium concentration was quantified using instrumental neutron activation analysis. The samples were irradiated at CIRUS reactor and counted using a 40% relative efficiency HPGe detector coupled to MCA. The annual intake of thorium was evaluated using the consumption data provided by National Nutrition Monitoring Board. The daily intake of 232Th from the four food categories (green leafy vegetables, others vegetables, roots and tubers, and fruits) ranged between 0.27 and 5.352 mBq d−1. The annual internal dose due to ingestion of thorium from these food categories was 46.8 × 10−8 for female and 58.6 × 10−8 Sv y−1 for male.
Abstract
Seven trace elements were determined in milk formulas, powder milk and infant food. Instrumental neutron activation analysis was used for the analysis of Fe, Zn, Co, Cr and Rb, while As and Cu content was determined using radiochemical neutron activation analysis. Differences were found in the trace element content of foods of the same type. Milk formulas are comparable with human milk according to the results obtained for the elements analyzed. The samples of powder cow's milk presented similar concentrations of the elements studied. Liver with vegetables was found to have the highest Cu content. A meal prepared at home, made of beef and fresh vegetables showed a higher trace element content than its similar commercial one. An estimation of the daily intake of the elements analyzed was made and compared with minimum recommended daily ingestion.
Abstract
The content of the following trace elements, Ag, Co, Cr, Cs, Fe, Hg, Rb, Sb, Se and Zn has been evaluated in the diets, excretion (urines and feces), blood and hair samples taken from different groups of subjects. Each population group is composed by five or more individuals selected in order to be representative of the adult population living in a well defined community. Some communities, with different socio-economical living habits, and displaced in different regions of Italy, have been considered in order to detect the variability, if any, of the trace element distribution among the Italian population. The data obtained seem to show a reasonable uniformity of the average trace element daily intakes in different regions of Italy. Beside the individual variability, very significant differences among the groups studied have not been found, as the trace element contents in excreta, blood and hair samples are concerned. All data are compared with similar data referred to population living in other countries.
Abstract
Extensive use of pan, by one-tenth of world"s population, entails the evaluation of trace element contents in its ingredients. Radiochemical neutron activation analysis (RNAA) was developed and successfully employed to determine the concentration of 36 trace elements (essential, toxic and nonessential) in its four basic ingredients, leaf of betel pepper, betel nut, catechu and lime. The radiochemical separation methodology has significantly improved the detection limits of most of these elements due to suppression of Compton background. This study provides the base-line values of certain toxic and essential elements in these ingredients. The daily intake of essential and toxic elements through pan was estimated and compared with the recommended values. The cumulative intake of Mn is four times higher than the recommended value and that of toxic elements is well below the tolerance limits.
Abstract
Nineteen natural herbs and two prescriptions prepared from mixed herbs were analyzed via epithermal neutron activation analysis (ENAA) to evaluate their bromine and iodine concentration. Traditional medical doctors prescribed the samples presented in this work to most Taiwanese children for strengthening their immune systems. Empirical results indicated a wide diversity of bromine in the samples. Yet, the iodine concentration was only around one to tenth or twentieth of the bromine. The maximum daily intake (MDI) for various medical herbs was also widely diversified from one to tenfold on the basis of various criteria. The minimum detectable concentration (MDC) of bromine and iodine found was 0.42±0.14 ppm and 0.067±0.016 ppm, respectively. Compared to that from conventional thermal neutron activation analysis (NAA) for a similar evaluation, the extremely low MDC obtained here was attributed to the large amount of thermal neutron absorption during sample irradiation.
Abstract
Twenty different brands of Chinese tea were analyzed for multiple trace elements, including some essential and toxic elements, by neutron activation analysis (NAA). A comparison among tea brands from China, India, US and other countries was made for the ranges and averages of concentrations for Na, K, Mn, Cu, and Br. It has been observed that the trace element contents in tea leaves are largely dependent upon the soil and the environment where the tea grows. Chinese tea is rich in Mn and Cu comparing with those of other counties surveyed, but is indigent in Na. The transference ratio for each element determined (i.e., the fraction of an element in tea leave transferred into solution when tea is leached by percolation) is also reported. Adult daily intakes of some essential and toxic elements from tea drinking were also estimated.
Summary
Dietary intakes of eighteen elements and 40K were estimated by Japanese subjects using a market basket study. High concentrations of most nuclides were found in 4 categories among 18 categories (nuts and seeds, bean products, seaweeds, and fishes and shellfishes). The main contributors were rice, bean products, and fishes and shellfishes. Daily intakes were estimated (in mg) as follows: sodium 3.91 . 103; potassium: 2.49 . 103; phosphorus: 1.09 . 103; calcium: 551; magnesium: 273; iron: 9.82; zinc: 9.41; manganese: 3.54; strontium: 2.52; rubidium: 2.34; copper: 1.61; barium: 0.543; chromium: 0.283; nickel: 0.172; lithium: 0.060; cadmium: 0.022; cesium: 0.0091; cobalt: 0.0095; and 40K: 89 Bq.
