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Absorption of Strontium by Foods Prepared in Drinking Water
Citation:
Melnyk, L., M. Donohue, M. Pham, AND J. Donohue. Absorption of Strontium by Foods Prepared in Drinking Water. American Journal of Public Health. American Public Health Association, Washington, DC, 53:22-26, (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtemb.2019.01.001
Impact/Purpose:
Research to determine the amount of Sr transferred from water to individual foods during preparation was conducted. The results will provide a more accurate estimation of potential intakes of Sr that originate from a local public water supply. This will enable OW to evaluate total exposure from all exposure media compared to that from drinking water at the 90th percentile intake level to determine if a regulation or health advisory is appropriate. This will also assist public water systems that identified high strontium levels during UCMR3 monitoring when developing appropriate communication materials for their customers.
Description:
Strontium (Sr) is a natural element, ubiquitous in the environment and known to occur in water, food, air, and soils. Strontium is present in media as a salt or an ionized divalent cation. The Sr ion (dissociated) is toxicokinetically important because it is easily absorbed into systemic circulation when inhaled with particulates or ingested with water or foods. Dietary exposure can be influenced by using tap water containing dissolved Sr in food preparation. Research was conducted to determine the amount of Sr transferred from water to individual foods during preparation. Strontium transferred to broccoli, lentils, and spaghetti at all levels tested (1.5, 10, and 50 mg/L) as evidenced by the residual Sr in the pour-off water following food preparation (33–64%). The data from the cooking study support the hypothesis that cooking of foods with water containing Sr adds to total dietary exposure. This information can inform the determination of the relative source contribution (RSC) that is typically used in developing drinking water advisory guidelines. These cooking study results indicate that food prepared in water containing Sr should be considered as part of the food in a dietary exposure assessment.
