RELATIVATION OF THE BROMIDE CONTENT IN FOOD DUE TO SOIL DISINFESTATION WITH METHYL BROMIDE

J. Coosemans, C. Van Assche
In order to get more insight in the total bromide intake per day we have analysed two typical day-nutrition ways. One concerns the daily nutrition of a student taking his meals in an average student restaurant (Alma-Leuven); the other the dayly nutrition taken by the staff of the St. Rafaël hospital in Leuven.

The total amount of bromide in the nutrition composition is being determined by two factors, i.e. the amount of Br in the food, and the amount of food that is being taken. So the food has been divided in twelve food groups. In some groups (like bread, potatoes …) the Br residue was rather constant in the different tests. For other food, like for instance lettuce, the bromide residue was rather heterogenious. The part being played by the different food groups as to the total bromide consumption is not the same in the student menu as in the hospital staff menu. In the student menu there are more potatoes; in the latter vegetables, dairy products and meat play an important role.

It is remarkable that the average total bromide consumption per day (± 8.500 μg per day) is far beneath the ADI value of 60.000 μg per day.

The bromide residue is fairly well represented in cereals and in deduced meat and dairy products. Bromide results from the application of MB in the gasification of grains and the bromide content in vegetables hardly ever is due to soil disinfections with methyl bromide.

Coosemans, J. and Van Assche, C. (1984). RELATIVATION OF THE BROMIDE CONTENT IN FOOD DUE TO SOIL DISINFESTATION WITH METHYL BROMIDE. Acta Hortic. 152, 315-324
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.1984.152.35
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1984.152.35

Acta Horticulturae