Survey of lead, cadmium, fluoride, nickel, and cobalt in food composites and estimation of dietary intakes of these elements by Canadians in 1986-1988.

During the period 1986-1988, foods were purchased at the retail level in 5 Canadian cities and, for each city, prepared for consumption and combined into 113 composites and 39 composite subsets. Lead and cadmium were determined in all the samples; fluoride, in samples from Winnipeg; and cobalt and nickel, in samples from Montreal. Means and ranges of concentrations (ng/g) found in individual samples were lead, 23.2 (< 0.4-523); cadmium, 9.96 (< 0.02-167); fluoride, 325 (11-4970); nickel, 196 (< 0.6-2521); and cobalt, 9.4 (< 0.3-75.7). Estimated dietary intakes (microgram/day) of the elements over all ages and sexes were lead, 24; cadmium, 13; fluoride, 1763; nickel, 286; and cobalt, 11. During the period 1985-1988, the average level of lead in canned foods decreased from 73.6 to 46 ng/g.