Daily dietary copper intake in Belgium, using duplicate portion sampling

Dietary exposure to copper in the European Union and its assessment for EU regulatory risk assessment

EU legislation requires a multimedia exposure assessment for substances supplied within the EU. Dietary intake is the main source of exposure for the majority of the population hence an essential component of the human risk assessment. This paper describes the available data for dietary copper and its use in estimating daily intake including variability and determinants of exposure. Typical and reasonable worst-case estimates are derived for the general population from the available peer reviewed literature. Intakes from drinking water are found to exhibit more variability than those from food. Therefore, different exposure scenarios are derived to reflect the range of acute and chronic exposures that may occur. Estimates of typical copper intakes for the EU population are in the range 0.8-1.8 mg/day. Typical copper intakes of men are higher than those of women while the intake among the general adult population is higher than that of the elderly. Intakes of both men and women are generally close to the WHO normative requirements but may be somewhat lower in specific locations where background levels of copper are unusually low. Alcoholic beverages represent minor contribution daily copper intakes. Intakes for children are rather variable ranging broadly from 0.7 to 1.5 mg/day and are somewhat age and sex dependent. Greater uncertainty applies to the assessment of local exposure incorporating food produced on land directly impacted by contemporary copper industry emissions. Specifically, the extent to which soil is enriched in copper in these conditions is unclear. However, effective homeostatic control mechanisms in plants limit uptake and transfer to the human food chain. A best estimate of 0.25 mg/day in addition to regional exposure was derived. Drinking water is estimated to contribute only marginally to total copper intake in most cases. Higher intakes may occur in areas of poor water quality and/or corroded distribution systems. Such elevated exposures appear unusual but their frequency is unknown.

Late onset of Wilson's disease in a family with genetic haemochromatosis

We report the coexistence of Wilson's disease and genetic haemochromatosis in one family. The diagnosis of genetic haemochromatosis was established in a 52-year-old man. Among his siblings, one 57-year-old sister and one 55-year-old brother had decreased copper and ceruloplasmin levels in serum and increased urinary copper excretion. The sister shared the same human leucocyte antigen haplotypes and was homozygous for the HFE mutation C282Y, like the propositus. However, she had normal liver iron content and increased liver copper content. Her dietary copper intake was probably excessive. The association of Wilson's disease and genetic haemochromatosis is rare and has only been described twice. The onset of Wilson's disease after 50 years of age is rare; Wilson's disease should be considered in any patient with unexplained chronic liver disease; an excess in liver copper content might be induced by excessive dietary input in a susceptible individual.

Estimation of iron, copper, zinc and manganese intake from duplicate diets provided by hospitals in Poland, 1993-96

Daily intakes of iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn) from whole-day food rations composed by dieticians and collected in hospital canteens in Krakow, Lodz, Olsztyn and Poznan, Poland, in the winters of 1993/94, 1995 and 1996, were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. The average intake of Fe, 14 mg x day(-1), was satisfactory for both women and men; 13 mg Zn fulfilled the safe level for women (taken as the recommended minimum level to meet the needs of 97.5% of the population) but it was too low for men, and 1.3 mg Cu corresponded to 65-72% of the safe level set for this microelement in Poland. There is no recommended level set in Poland for Mn, but compared with recommended levels in Germany and the USA, the determined daily Mn intake equal to 3.7 mg should be sufficient. Statistical analysis confirmed higher amounts of Zn and Mn in diets collected in Krakow, higher Cu content in diets from 1996, and lower Mn content in food collected in 1995.

Determination of copper levels in serum of healthy subjects by atomic absorption spectrometry

Copper levels in serum samples of 84 healthy subjects living in southeastern Spain were determined using the flame atomic absorption spectrometry technique. Mineralization of samples was carried out with an HNO3/HClO4 (4:1) mixture in a thermostated mineralization block. The accuracy of the method was tested by using a standard reference material. A mean recovery percentage of 104.70% was obtained. The relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) as a measurement of the precision of the method was lower than 5% in the concentration range considered. Mean copper concentrations were 1.092 +/- 0.365 mg/l (with the range 0.304-2.000 mg/l) and 1.113 +/- 0.253 mg/l (corresponding to an interval of 0.648-1.760 mg/l) for women and men, respectively. There are no significant differences between the copper levels in serum according to either sex or geography zone (P > 0.05). For example, there were no differences of copper levels in serum of subjects from coastal and mountainous zones. Estimated daily dietary intakes on copper in women and men were 1.38 and 2.10 mg Cu/day respectively.

Daily dietary chromium intake in Belgium, using duplicate portion sampling

Daily dietary chromium intake in Belgium has been evaluated by sampling duplicate portions of food, heating them at an acidic pH in a microwave oven and then quantifying the chromium by atomic absorption spectrometry. The mean intake value (53 +/- 31 micrograms/day) is similar to levels found for most other countries and is situated at the lower end of the recommended range for a safe and adequate daily dietary intake.

Measurement of the daily dietary calcium and magnesium intake in Belgium, using duplicate portion sampling

The daily dietary calcium and magnesium intakes in Belgium were evaluated by sampling duplicate portions of food, destruction in a microwave oven and their calcium and magnesium contents determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The mean intake value for calcium (618 +/- 125 mg/day) was found to be less than those values measured in most other countries and was below the recommended daily allowance (RDA). The mean intake value for magnesium (271 +/- 44 mg/day) was similar to levels found in most other countries, but was below the RDA value for healthy adult men (350 mg/day) whilst being adequate for healthy women (280 mg/day).