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Approximately 3000 food samples from the Slovenian market and 2500 drinking (tap) water samples in the period 2011 - 2016 were evaluated for the presence of toxic elements lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) and the overall chronic dietary exposure was assessed for each element. The highest mean concentrations were found for Pb in products for special nutritional use - dietary supplements (0.383 mg/kg) and for Cd in fish and seafood (0.117 mg/kg). The consumption data were obtained from the national study of the household budget and from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) summary statistics. Chronic dietary exposure was estimated deterministically. The average Pb and Cd intakes from food and drinking (tap) water ranged for children from 0.90 to 1.021 µg/kg bw/day and 4.65 to 5.65 µg/kg bw/week, respectively, and for adults, including adolescents, from 0.40 to 0.53 µg/kg bw/day and 1.98 to 2.82 µg/kg bw/week, respectively. The high consumption of cereal-based foods and vegetables contributed most to overall Pb and Cd intake in the majority of the age groups. The exposure to Pb was generally lower and that to Cd was higher compared to the average EU values. The most exposed were children, as the health-based guidance values were exceeded for both elements, which indicates a health concern. An important contribution to Cd exposure can be attributed to grains and potatoes grown in Slovenia, where the soil contains more Cd than that in other EU countries. Further efforts to reduce Pb and Cd intake are required to minimize potential health risks.

Uvod: Model IEUBK je racunalnisko podprto orodje, ki na podlagi vnesenih podatkov o izpostavljenosti oceni koncentracijo svinca v krvi otrok. Namen raziskave je bil s pomocjo modela ugotoviti, ali izmerjene koncentracije svinca v krvi otrok iz Zgornje Mežiske doline ustrezno zrcalijo obremenjenost okolja s svincem, in oceniti, kateri so najpomembnejsi dejavniki izpostavljenosti. Metoda dela: V raziskavi smo uporabili model IEUBK s podatkio koncentracijah svinca v zraku, zemlji, hisnem prahu in pitni vodi v Zgornji Mežiski dolini in privzetimi vrednostmi za preostale dejavnike izpostavljenosti. Vrednosti, ki jih je napovedal model, smo primerjali z izmerjenimi vrednosti svinca v krvi otrok v letih 2001-2002 in 2004-2007. Med seboj smo primerjali skupine otrok, oblikovane na podlagi geografske lege stalnega bivalisca. Uporabili smo pristopa pri oblikovanju skupin. Ujemanje napovedanih in izmerjenih vrednosti smo ocenili na podlagi prekrivanja vrednosti in pripadajocih 95-odstotnih intervalov zaupanja. Rezultati: Vkljucenih je bilo 196 triletnih otrok iz Zgornje Mežiske doline. Zadovoljivo ujemanje med napovedanimi in izmerjenimi vrednostmi je bilo pri 6 izmed 8 skupin, ki so vkljucevale vsaj pet otrok pri prvem pristopu oz. pri 5 od 7 skupin pri drugem pristopu. Simulacije z modelom so za vse skupine napovedale delež vnosa svinca preko zemlje in hisnega prahu v vrednosti nad 80 % skupnega vnosa. Zakljucek: Rezultati kažejo, da otroci z najvisjimi vrednostmi svinca živijo na najbolj onesnaženih obmocjih in da sta zemlja in hisni prah pomembna dejavnika izpostavljenosti svincu. Model je uporabno orodje za napovedovanje svinca v krvi otrok, saj je zelo prilagodljiv in omogoca natancen opis izpostavljenosti otrok svincu in identifikacijo najpomembnejsih virov izpostavljenosti, ce je na razpolago dovolj krajevno specificnih podatkov.