Exposure to cadmium from food contact ceramics in Slovenian adults using deterministic and probabilistic approaches

Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal that can be used as a pigment in ceramic glazes. Based on its kidney toxicity following long-term exposure, a tolerable weekly intake (TWI) of 2.5 µg/kg bw/week was established by EFSA. For the non-smoking population, the primary source of cadmium exposure is contaminated food. One source of food contamination is food contact materials, particularly ceramics. In the study, exposure to cadmium in the adult Slovenian population through food contact ceramics was assessed using both deterministic and probabilistic approaches. For the probabilistic assessment, MCRA, a web-based platform, was applied for the first time to model exposure from food contact materials. The mean exposure of the Slovenian adult population to cadmium from ceramics, assessed probabilistically using a conservative approach (0.24 µg/kg bw/week), represents 9.6% of TWI value. The probabilistic approach revealed the contribution of different ceramic articles to cadmium exposure and identified the acidic foods that contribute most to cadmium exposure. Deterministically estimated exposure of Slovenian adults to cadmium from food and drinking water (from another study), together with the exposure from ceramic materials in the present study (0.04 µg/kg bw/week for the LB scenario, 0.22 µg/kg bw/week for the MB scenario, and 0.38 µg/kg bw/week for the UB scenario), represents 81% (LB scenario), 99% (MB scenario), and 114% (UB scenario) of the TWI for cadmium. Both exposure assessments are expected to be overestimated; nevertheless, cadmium exposure from ceramics should be minimised, given the already substantial contribution from other dietary sources.