Daily dietary intakes of nitrates and nitrites.

In order to evaluate the daily dietary intake of nitrates and nitrites, the authors analysed 602 food samples from different daily diets during the course of one year. The tests were performed on food ready to eat, because during cooking there are consistant variations in the nitrate content. Samples from zones with a low nitrate content in the water (10 mg/l) were analysed and daily intake was found to be 106.4 mg per head, which when added to the 10 mg a day taken in drinking water gives a total daily intake of 116.4 mg. For the nitrites, a total daily level of 1.2 mg was obtained. Wherever water with high nitrate levels is used (e.g. 100 mg/l as has been recorded in some aqueducts in The Marches) another 100 mg of nitrates, consumed in drinking water, must be added to the original 106.4 mg. In this way, the maximum acceptable daily dose (ADI), fixed by OMS-FAO at 3.65 mg NO3(Kg (equivalent to 219 mg for a 60 Kg adult) would be reached.