Assessing Cumulative Exposure to Food Contaminants. C. P. Dougherty and S. L. Hendricks, Industrial Economics, Inc., 4800 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02140; and J. C. Reinert, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Policy, Planning and Evaluation, 401 M St. SW (2123), Washington, DC 20460
EPA is conducting a national study of cumulative exposure to contaminants in food. The analysis draws on existing databases of food consumption (principally the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Continuing Food Consumption Survey for 1989-1991) and measured levels of contaminants in food (data from the Food and Drug Administration’s Total Diet Survey, USDA’s Pesticide Data Program, the National Food Processors Association, and EPA’s National Sediment Inventory). A model has been developed which combines food consumption data and food contamination data to estimate average exposures to 37 contaminants, including both pesticides and industrial pollutants, in 34 foods for 110 population subgroups. Separate estimates of food consumption are used for the population subgroups, which are defined by age, gender, income, region, and ethnicity. This model was used to develop preliminary estimates of national food contamination exposures. Foods and contaminants that are significant contributors to national exposure were identified. Additional analyses will evaluate the potential for significant differences in exposure levels across demographic subgroups.
The views expressed in this presentation are those of the authors, and do not necessarily represent those of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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