Principles and Methods for the Assessment of Risk from Essential Trace Elements

Summary The risk assessment approach described in this monograph applies only to essential trace elements (ETEs) involved in human health and not to non-essential elements. The purpose of this monograph is to provide the scientific principles that support the concept of an "acceptable range of oral intake" (AROI), which uses a "homeostatic model" for determining the range of dietary intakes for essential trace elements (ETEs) that meet the nutritional requirements of a healthy population and avoid excess intakes. To facilitate comparisons, AROIs are discussed in relation to other risk assessment approaches. Although it includes examples, this monograph is not a compendium of assessments on ETEs, nor is it a textbook detailing the scientific basis of risk assessment of the derivation of dietary reference intakes.