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Nuclear Science and Technology | Progress Report 175
Fig 25. Crassostrea genus oyster shells.
samples, X-ray diffraction spectroscopy anal- on a regular basis in several areas of nutrition
ysis was used. Differences between origins, and foodstuffs.
elemental composition and mineralogical pa-
rameters were used to correlate the results Total Diet Studies: Determination
obtained. The normalization factor was cal- of essential and toxic elements in
culated using sea water and La as normalizer. foodstuffs from São Paulo city.
Samples were analyzed by chemometric statis-
tical methods: Pearson correlation coefficient The techniques of Neutron Activation Anal-
and cluster analysis. The results obtained by ysis and Atomic Absorption Spectrometry
this normalization indicated a good separation have been applied to determine the content
between samples from mangrove regions and of essential and toxic elements in diets from
samples from the region of higher salinity cor- different Brazilian regions. During this period,
roborating the hypothesis that the elemental a Total Diet Study (TDS) was carried out using
composition of the oyster shells is indicative data of food consumption of the Southeast
of the environment in which they formed. region of Brazil based in the POF 2008-2009
Therefore, the application to environmental National Household Food Budget Survey of
and paleo-environmental studies can be an the Brazilian Institute for Geography and
important application of these results. Statistics (IBGE), to evaluate essential (Ca,
Cu, Cr, Fe, Mg, Mn, K, Na, Se and Zn) and tox-
Nutritional studies in ic element (As, Cd, Hg) dietary intakes. This
foodstuffs and diets study is on the context of the Fapesp Proj-
ect 2013/08869-6 about Brazilian Total Diet
Food being the main source of intake of ele- Study that was approved for the 2013-2015
ments, it becomes imperative to monitor the period. This study is the 2nd TDS, carried out
concentration of toxic and essential elements by our laboratory, and included daily individ-
in various food items and products of daily ual food consumed both inside and outside
consumption. Trace element concentrations of the household, resulting in a total daily
have been measured extensively in Brazilian individual consumption of the population.
food and diets of different regions. Neutron The food group approach was chosen over
Activation Analysis, NAA, has become an im- the individual approach so as to provide a
portant and useful research tool due to the smaller number of food samples to the kitchen
methodology’s advantages. These include high preparation and analysis. The Food List includ-
accuracy, small quantities of samples and no ed 82 food items reported consumed foods,
chemical treatment has been successfully used according to the survey. Since it is unavailable
