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The Diet Program

The EML diet sampling program was developed to provide estimates of the intake of 90Sr by man. These dietary intake estimates are then correlated with fallout measurements and the 90Sr content of human bone. The sampling protocol or archived samples from the diet sampling program have been used by other researchers in studies of the dietary intake of other natural and artifical radionuclides, and some stable elements.

At EML, the diet sampling is grouped into 19 food categories representing the five basic food groups. On a quarterly basis, 42 food items are purchased in New York City (formerly New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco) markets. The foods purchased within each category approximate the distribution of food consumption within that category. The quantities purchased for an individual item allow for duplicate 90Sr analyses and sufficient archival material. Additional information on % ash of certain foods and the amount of wet sample needed for a 10g sample of ash is discussed in section 4 of HASL-300.

Three categories of food intake are not sampled: fats and oils, sugars and sweets, and beverages. The total liquid intake estimate and the concentration in water can be used to obtain an estimate of the intake from the beverage category. Omission of these categories is valid for most radionuclides and for metallic contaminants. Studies of tritium intake or pesticides would probably require their inclusion.

Milk is a particularly important diet component and often a prime contributor to 90Sr intake. Since it is easily sampled, we routinely obtain daily samples of pasteurized milk which are then composited and analyzed monthly.

The foods are prepared as for consumption (but are not cooked). Using consumption estimates from the USDA for all urbanizations (central city, suburban, and non-metropolitan) of the U.S., the daily intake of each food category is calculated from the nuclide concentration multiplied by the daily consumption values. The total intake is calculated from the total of all food categories. Quarterly sampling of diet items has been sufficient to demonstrate seasonal variations and to provide satisfactory average yearly intake estimates for typical Northern Hemisphere population regions.

In addition to the long-term Tri-City sampling described above, EML has conducted various other analyses of food samples, often in support of soil or other sampling.

For more information about the Diet Program, contact:

webmaster@eml.st.dhs.gov

Literature references:

Strontium in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco diets

  1. Rivera, J. "Stable Strontium in Tri-City Diets." USAEC Report HASL-131, p. 230, October (1962).
  2. Rivera, J. and J. H. Harley. "HASL Contribution to the Study of Fallout in Food Chains." USAEC Report HASL-147, July (1964).
  3. Rivera, J. "Strontium-90 in the Diet: Verification of Prediction for 1964 and 1965 and Prediction for 1966 and 1967." USAEC Report HASL-173, p. I-75, October (1966).
  4. Rivera, J. "Strontium-90 in Tri-City Diets: Results for 1966 and 1967 and Comparison with Predictions." USAEC Report HASL-193, p. I-217, April (1968).
  5. Rivera, J. "Strontium-90 in the Diet During 1968 and Projected Levels for 1969." USAEC Report HASL-207, p. I-33, April (1969).
  6. Rivera, J. "90Sr to Ca Ratios in the U.S. Diet from 1954 to 1959." USAEC Report HASL-214, p. I-29, October (1969).
  7. Bennett, B. G. "Strontium-90 in the Diet - Results through 1970." USAEC Report HASL-242, P. I-108, April (1971).
  8. Bennett, B. G. "Estimation of 90Sr Levels in the Diet." USAEC Report HASL-246, p. I-107, January (1972).
  9. Bennett, B. G. "Strontium-90 in the Diet - Results through 1971." USAEC Report HASL-249, P. I-95, April (1972).
  10. Bennett, B. G. "Strontium-90 in the Diet - Results through 1972." USAEC Report HASL-273, P. I-64, April (1973).
  11. Spencer, H., L. Kramer, J. Samachson, E. P. Hardy, and J. Rivera. "90Sr - Calcium Interrelationships in Man." Health Physics, 24:525-534 (1973).
  12. Bennett, B. G. "Strontium-90 in the Diet - Results through 1973." USAEC Report HASL-284, P. I-34, April (1974).
  13. Bennett, B. G. "Strontium-90 in the Diet - Results through 1974." USERDA Report HASL-294, P. I-143, July (1975).
  14. Bennett, B. G. "Strontium-90 in the Diet - Results through 1975." USERDA Report HASL-306, P. I-95, July (1976).
  15. Bennett, B. G. and C. Evans. "Strontium-90 in the Diet - Results through 1976." USERDA Report HASL-321, P. I-39, July (1977).
  16. Bennett, B. G. and C. S. Klusek. "Strontium-90 in the Diet - Results through 1977." USDOE Report HASL-342, P. I-105, July (1978).
  17. Klusek, C. S. "Strontium-90 in the Diet - Results through 1978." USDOE Report HASL-356, P. I-351, July (1979).
  18. Klusek, C. S. "Strontium-90 in the Diet - Results through 1979." USDOE Report HASL-374, P. I-25, July (1980).
  19. Klusek, C. S. "Strontium-90 in the Diet - Results through 1980." USDOE Report HASL-395, P. I-31, November (1981).
  20. Klusek, C. S. "Strontium-90 in the Diet - Results through 1981." USDOE Report HASL-412, P. I-3, November (1982).
  21. Klusek, C. S. "Strontium-90 in the U.S. Diet, 1982." USDOE Report EML-429, July (1984).
  22. Klusek, C. S. "Strontium-90 in Food and Bone from Fallout." Journal of Environmental Quality, 16:195-199 (1987).
Other
  1. Bennett, B. G. "Fallout Pu-239+240 in the Diet - Results through 1975." USERDA Report HASL-306, pp. 115-125, July (1976).
  2. Block, G. "A Review of Validations of Dietary Assessment Methods." American Journal of Epidemiology, 115:492 (1982).
  3. Bogen, D. C. "Stable Lead Concentrations in New York City Foodstuffs." USAEC Report HASL-246, pp.45-52, January (1972).
  4. Fisenne, I. M. and H. W. Keller. "Radium-226 in the Diet of Two U.S. Cities." USAEC Report HASL-224, pp. 2-8, April (1970).
  5. Fisenne, I. M. P. M. P{erry, K. M. Decker, and H. W. Keller. "The Daily Intake of 234,235,238U, 228,230,232Th, and 226,228Ra by New York City Residents." Health Physics, 53:357-64 (1987).
  6. FAO, Food and Agricultural Organization. "Food Balance Sheets." Food and Agricultural Organization, Rome (1984).
  7. Karttunen, J. O. "Cesium-137 in Various Chicago Foods." USDOE Report EML-405, Part II, pp. 3-6, May (1982).
  8. Kramer, L., H. Spencer, and E. P. Hardy. "Dietary Strontium-90 Intake in Chicago." Health Physics, 25:445-448 (1973).
  9. Marr, J. W. "Individual Dietary Surveys: Purposes and Methods." World Rev. Nutr. Diet, 13:105 (1971).
  10. Morgan, K. J., S. R. Johnson, R. L. Rizek, R. Reese, and G. L. Stampley. "Collection of Food Intake Data: An Evaluation of Methods." J. American Dietetic Assoc., 87:888-896 (1987).
  11. Petrow, H. S., W. J. Schiessle, and A. Clover. "Dietary Intake of Radium-228." USAEC Report NYO-3086-1, pp. 1-10 (1965).
  12. Rivera, J. "Cesium-137 in Tri-City Diets - Results for 1965." USAEC Report HASL-174, pp. 29-36, January (1967).
  13. Stroube, W. B., Jr. and C. F. Jelinek. "Survey of Radionuclides in Foods, 1978-1982." Health Physics, 49:731-35 (1985).
  14. U. S. Department of Agriculture. "Food Consumption: Households in the United States, Spring 1977." Human Nutrition Information Service NFCS 1977-78, Report H-1 September (1982).
  15. U. S. Department of Agriculture. "Food Intakes: Individuals in 48 States, Years 1977-78." Human Nutrition Information Service NFCS 1977-78, Report I-1, August (1983).
  16. U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. "California Diet Study." Radiation Data and Reports, 14:69-73, February (1973).
  17. U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. "Radionuclides in Institutional Total Diet Samples." Radiation Data and Reports, 15:126-128, February (1974).
  18. Welford, G. A. and R. Baird. "Uranium Levels in Human Diet and Biological Materials." Health Physics, 13:1321-1324 (1967).
  19. World Health Organization. "Guideline for the Study of Dietary Intakes of Chemical Contaminants." Joint FAO/WHO Food Contamination Monitoring Programme Report WHO-EFT/83.53, WHO Offset Publication No. 87, World Health Organization, Geneva (1986).
The EML Sample Archives makes available environmental radiological data collected for programs funded through the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, the U. S. Energy Research and Development Administration and the U. S. Department of Energy. All of these programs have been terminated. The databases were last updated in 1999. No additional data will be added to these databases. Any inquiries about these programs should be made to webmaster@eml.st.dhs.gov.

Contact: webmaster@eml.st.dhs.gov
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Environmental Measurements Laboratory - http://www.eml.st.dhs.gov

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