Aluminum exposure from food in the population of Lebanon

Abstract Widely used for a variety of applications, levels of dietary aluminum (Al) have seen a perpetual rise in Lebanon, leading to noticeable effects upon the human body. This study aims to estimate the rates of Al contaminated food consumption and quantify the Al present in different dietary matrices, revealing the major contributors to Al exposure for the Lebanese population. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a customized, self-reported Electronic Food Frequency Questionnaire (E-FFQ) using Curve®, targeting individuals between the ages of 18 and 64 from different Lebanese regions, distributed proportionally. The selection of food was based upon the results of the French EAT2 study. Al levels in food were analyzed using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (FAAS) after acid digestion. The E-FFQ was completed by 167 respondents. Data analysis was performed on SPSS version 25. Additionally, 97 food items were studied in 2018. Al levels had a mean of 3.56 ± 2.08 mg/kg (ranging from 0.14 to 9.37). The highest Al levels were found in vegetables, followed by sauces and condiments, candies, and ready meals. The Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI) of Al was set at 0.50 mg/kg body weight (60 Kg/person). Al mean Daily Dietary Exposure (DDE) was estimated to be 4341.18 μg/day, with the highest food exposure coming from lettuce, soft drinks, ice cream and tea. Al ingestion rates for the adult Lebanese population does not exceed the international established thresholds of tolerable intake (1 mg/kg/week). National recommendation should be developed to control the presence of metal for food safety purposes.