THE CONCENTRATION OF COMMON POTASSIUM, RUBIDIUM AND CESIUM IN JAPANESE DIET

Description/Abstract

Measurements were made of potassium, rubidium, and cesium in a variety of Japanese diet samples to study the fate of these elements in the food chain. Each component of the diet contributes potassium evenly to the diet, however, almost half of cesium is estimated to be contributed by meat, eggs, and milk products. Thus, the daily intake of cesium varies greatly depending on the dietary intake of this component. The daily intake by the Japanese adults as a whole is estimated as 1.4 g of potassium, 1.5 mg of rubidium, and 0.01 mg of cesium per person. The biological half lives are estimated as 54, 140, and 76 days, respectively, for potassium, rubidium, and cesium on the basis of the balance between the human body and diet assuming a single exponential function of excretion. (auth)