Daily dietary intakes of macro and trace elements. Note 1: Cobalt and Nickel

After having studied the presence of macro and trace elements in the drinkable water of the Marche Region closely, the investigation is completed in the present work by a consideration of the presence of mineral elements in various foods and the daily intake of them in the diet. In total, 13 elements were tested for, some of which are classifiable as, or held to be, essential trace elements. These are Cobalt, Chromium, Iron, Manganese, Nickel, Copper, and Zinc. Lead and Cadmium, however, are toxic trace elements. Others, being present in the organism in higher concentrations, are classifiable as macro elements, and these are Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium and Sodium. The investigation was carried out on foods which were present in 70 different daily diets. The samples were taken in collctive dining rooms and in private dwellings, in order to have a sufficiently complete picture of the eating habits of the population. As far as Cobalt and Nickel are concerned, an average daily intake of 40 ug of Cobalt and 350 ug of Nickel emerged. These values, extrapolating from the fragmentary nature of the data obtained by various authors on animals (considering the absence of a standard reference relative to nutritional needs), can be held to be sufficient to cover the daily needs of the population.