Daily dietary intake of elements of nutritional and radiological importance by adult Koreans

A one day representative mixed diet of an adult Korean was collected from t he data based on the food intake of 108 healthy subjects between the ages 2 0 and 50. Sampling for the Korean total diet was carried out by using a mar ket basket study based on the Korean standard food consumption scheme repor ted by the Korean Nutrition Society. Average consumption frequency of diffe rent food items for a one day representative mixed diet of an adult Korean and the amount of each item to prepare a one day Korean representative tota l diet are surveyed. The analytical methods involve both instrumental and r adiochemical neutron activation techniques developed for the determination of the elements Cs, I, Sr, Th and U in various kinds of food samples. Conce ntrations of trace elements including 5 important elements for radiological protection, U, Th, Cs, Sr and I in the Korean total diet and the 4 most fr equently consumed Korean foodstuffs have been analyzed by neutron activatio n analysis. Detection limits for U, Th, Sr and I were improved to ppb level s by radiochemical separation after neutron irradiation. Five biological NI ST reference materials were also analyzed for quality control of the analys is. Seventeen trace elements in the Korean total diet and four Korean repre sentative foodstuffs were also analyzed quantitatively by instrumental neut ron activation analysis.