Human Dietary Exposure to Uranium in Catalonia, Spain

The purpose of this study was to determine the daily dietary intake of uranium (U) by the general population of Catalonia, Spain. Uranium concentrations were measured in foods widely consumed by the population living in that autonomous community. Food samples were randomly acquired in 12 representative cities of Catalonia. The dietary intake of U was estimated for various age-gender groups: children, adolescents, adults, and seniors. Fish and seafood was the food group showing the highest U concentrations (0.090 mu g/g of fresh weight (fw)), followed by dairy products (0.044 mu g/g fw). In contrast, the lowest U levels were found in oils and fats (0.003 mu g/g fw), while in tubers and milk, U was not detected in any sample. The estimated dietary intake of U for a standard male adult of 70 kg body weight living in Catalonia was 15.48 mu g/day. According to the age/gender of the population, the highest dietary intake of U corresponded to children (20.32 mu g/day), while senior females was the subgroup with the lowest U intake (10.04 mu g/day). Based on the tolerable daily intake established for U, the current dietary intake of this metal by the general population of Catalonia should not mean health risks for any of the different age/gender groups of consumers.