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QUANTITATIVE ESTIMATES OF SOIL INGESTION IN NORMAL CHILDREN BETWEEN THE AGES OF 2 AND 7 YEARS: POPULATION-BASED ESTIMATES USING ALUMINUM, SILICON, AND TITANIUM AS SOIL TRACER ELEMENTS
Citation:
Davis, S., P. Waller, R. Buschbom, AND P. White. QUANTITATIVE ESTIMATES OF SOIL INGESTION IN NORMAL CHILDREN BETWEEN THE AGES OF 2 AND 7 YEARS: POPULATION-BASED ESTIMATES USING ALUMINUM, SILICON, AND TITANIUM AS SOIL TRACER ELEMENTS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-90/119 (NTIS PB93199461).
Description:
This investigation was undertaken to provide quantitative estimates of soil ingestion in young children on a population basis, and to identify demographic and behavioral characteristics that influence the amount of soil ingested. 04 children between the ages of 2 and 7 yr were selected randomly from the population of a 3-city area in southeastern Washington State. sing aluminum, silicon, and titanium as tracer elements, a mass-balance approach was employed to assess daily soil ingestion. uplicate of all food items consumed, all feces, and some urine excreted were collected on 4 consecutive d, along with soil and house dust samples from each child's home. amples were analyzed by x-ray fluorescence spectrometry. fter adjustment of the soil ingestion estimates to account for missing food, excreta samples, and nonfood items consumed, the average daily values based on the 3 tracer elements were: aluminum, 38.9mg/d (median = 25.3mg/d); silicon, 82.4mg/d (median - 59.4 mg/d); and titanium, 245.5mg/d (median - 81.3mg/d). No consistent pattern emerged regarding a demographic or behavioral profile that was predictive of soil ingestion. his work demonstrates a) the feasibility of conducting large-scale studies to determine soil intake levels in human populations, b) provides estimates of soil ingestion in small children based on a random population sample, and c) suggests several possibilities for additional research.
