The objective of this study is to estimate the dietary exposure of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibezofurans (PCDD/Fs) of Korean population via milk and meat using a probabilistic exposure assessment model. Total 319 raw milk and meat samples collected in the period 2006-2008 from nationwide Korea were measured the concentrations of 17 PCDD/Fs. Distributions of dietary exposure of 7 age subgroups to PCDD/Fs from the commodities were estimated probabilistically using Monte Carlo simulations. Dietary exposure groups were divided as lower, medium and high consumer subgroups according to the consumption of each commodity. The amounts of dietary exposures of Korean population subgroups were compared to the provisional maximum tolerable monthly intake (PTMI) recommended by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants (JECFA). The mean PCDD/Fs concentrations in raw milk and meat of beef, prok and chicken were measured as 0.501, and 0.022~0.150pg WHO-TEQ/g, respectively. Dietary exposure of children was significantly higher than that of adults due to their high milk consumption per body weight (BW). Dietary intake of PCDD/Fs of the Korean populations estimated ranged from 0.154 to 1.248 pg WHO- TEQ/kg BW/day for high consumers (the 97.5th percentile) at the upper bound. Dietary intakes of average population of various subgroups were below the half of PTMI, but those of higher consumers were found exceeding or comparable to PTMI at the upper bound level. This study also suggests that the estimated PCDD/Fs concentrations in milk and meat are comparable to those reported in previous studies. Probabilistic assessment model for PCDD/Fs exposure in meat and milk commodities could be used to estimate the exposure of PCDD/Fs in Korean population for the development of risk mangement mesaures for PCDD/Fs in meat and milk.

This study was conducted to explore portion size estimation by comparing the measurement errors of food and macronutrient intake by photography estimation and 24-hour recall from weighing method. A total of 28 female participants aged 20-24 years old were provided a meal that included rice, chard soup with soybean paste, stir-fried squid, japchae, stirfried boiled fish paste, lettuce geotjeori, and kimchi. Each portion was measured accurately, and food intake was measured using three dietary assessment methods. For the photography method, trained researchers estimated remaining food amount by analyzing photographs using a mean of four times. The measurement errors for the stir-fried squid and japchae were larger by the 24-hour recall method, while the error for kimchi was larger by the photography method. The correlation coefficients for each food, except chard soup with soybean paste, between the weighing method and photography method were 0.77~0.99 (p<0.001). The correlation coefficients of energy and intake of macronutrients between the weighing method and photography method were 0.85~0.86 (p<0.001). The results of this study demonstrate substantially less measurement error using the photography method than the 24-hour recall method. However, further research is needed to standardize various kinds of foods, photograph angles, serving plates, and serving style for establishment of reliable and valid portion size estimation using the photography method.

Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) was analyzed in various marine organisms of Korea. HCB was detected in all organism samples with residual concentrations from 0.51 to 222 pg/g wet weight. HCB residue was the highest content in crustacean, and followed by bivalves, fish, cephalopods and gastropods. The residues were comparable to or lower than those in marine organisms of other countries. Daily dietary intake of HCB from seafood was estimated to be 13.4 pg/kg body weight/day. The relative contribution of taxonomic group to the total dietary intake of HCB were in the order of crustaceans (40.1%), bivalves (34.2%), fish (23.1%), cephalopods (2.22%), and gastropods (0.38%). Daily dietary intake of HCB expressed as toxic equivalent (TEQ) value was estimated to be 1.34×10-3 pg TEQ/kg body weight/day. This value did not exceed tolerable daily intake (TDI) proposed by the WHO, the UK toxicity committee and the KFDA. Cancer risk and target hazard quotient (THQ) due to the consumption of the marine organism in Korean adult population were evaluated using the exposure equation of food ingestion. This result suggests that dietary intake of HCB by the consumption of Korean seafood seems to be safe for human health with negligible cancer and non-cancer risks so far.