Lecture 3: human exposure to toxic metals

Question 1

What are the essential metals

Answer 1

Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, P, K, Na, Zn

Question 2

When are metals toxic?

Answer 2

if the concentration is high for the essential metals, they become toxic, but for non-essential ones, in low concentrations they are toxic

Question 3

What are the exposure routes of trace metals?

Answer 3

Air, Drinking Water, Food, and Soil.

Question 4

What are trace metals?

Answer 4

They are the metals that can be found in the environment in low concentration

Question 5

formula for mass of trace metals absorbed by the body /time

Answer 5

Ai = Ci Ui fi
i = air, water, food, soil/dust
Ci = Concentration of trace metal in media i
Ui = Uptake rate of air, water, soil/dust
fi = fraction of trace metal absorbed by the blood stream

Question 6

Total dose equation

Answer 6

D = A x t

there A = total absorption rate from all exposure routs (ug/day)