Risk assessment of mercury through food intake for Korean population

The present study was conducted to assess the dietary exposure to mercury and the associated risks for Koreans resulting from their food intake. The probabilistic approach in the Monte Carlo simulation was used to estimate dietary exposures. Based on several reports regarding heavy metals published by KFDA in the 2000s, 178 types of representative foods were selected and data were collected on the occurrence of mercury. The contents of mercury in foods ranged: agricultural products 0.1 (fruits)-45.4 μg/kg (mushrooms), 3.7 μg/kg (meat), and 9.3 (Echinodermata, chordata)-194.9 μg/kg (fish). Others categories investigated were alcoholic beverages (0.7 μg/kg) and processed food (4.4 μg/kg). The mean and 95th percentile for exposure to dietary mercury were 4.29 and 12.48 μg/day, corresponding to 13.6% and 39.7% of PTWI (Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake), respectively. Therefore, overall level of mercury exposure for Koreans through food intake is below levels recommended by JECFA, indicating the least possibility of risk, and is less than or similar to levels reported in other countries.