Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)


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358938 
Journal Article 
Heavy metals in the food chain - lead, cadmium and mercury in foodstuff and population exposures 
Fischer, AB 
2005 
71 
3/4 
109-143 
The present knowledge on lead, cadmium and mercury in the food chain is reviewed and data from the recent literature on the levels in food items and the average daily intakes in different countries are reported. Special consideration is given to their correlations with environmental factors and with the concentrations in blood, urine and other indicators of metal exposure or body burden. The toxicology of the heavy metals is reviewed briefly as far as it is relevant to exposures in the environmental context. In order to avoid hazardous human exposure through food, national and international scientific and political bodies have issued regulations for heavy metal contents in different food items and for tolerable weekly intakes. Recently also reference values have been set and recommendations on safe metal concentrations (Pb, Cd and Hg) in human body fluids or tissues (human biomonitoring values) have been proposed. 
blood; body fluids; cadmium; environmental factors; food chains; food contamination; guidelines; heavy metals; lead; mercury; toxicology; urine; food contaminants; recommendations; Food Contamination, Residues and Toxicology (QQ200); Human Toxicology and Poisoning (VV810) (New March 2000)