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Trace Elements in Abiotic and Biotic Environments
TABLE 25.2

Lithium in Foodstuffs (mg/kg FW)

Product
Content
Food of Plant Origin
Bread a
0.01
Miscellaneous cereals a
0.02
Rice and semolina b
0.004
Potatoes a
0.01
Vegetables, various a
0.01–0.03
Fresh fruits a
0.005
Curry, various c
0.12–0.4
Alcoholic beverages b
0.003
Food of Animal Origin
Carcass meat a
0.02
Meat b
0.002
Meat products a
0.01
Offal a
0.03
Eggs a
0.01
Freshwater fish d
0.01–0.13
Fish b
0.030
Milk a ; milk b ; milk e
0.003; 0.006; 0.059
Sources: a Ysart, G. et al., Food Addit. Contam., 16, 391–403, 1999.
b Leblanc, J.C. et al., Food Addit. Contam., 22, 624–641, 2005.
c Gonzalvez, A. et al., Food Addit. Contam., 1, 114–121, 2008.
d Lidwin-Kaźmierkiewicz, M. et  al., Pol. J. Food Nutr. Sci., 59,
219–234, 2009.
e Gabryszuk, M. et al., J. Elem., 15, 259–267, 2010.
FW, fresh weight.
The intake of dietary Li is dependent upon the location and type of foods
consumed. The mean dietary exposure to Li was estimated at (mg/day) 0.017, in the
United Kingdom (Ysart et al. 1999); 0.144, in France (Leblanc et al. 2005); 0.348,
in Germany; 0.494, in Austria; and 1.485, in Mexico (Folta and Barton 2011). The
average daily Li intake of an American adult (70 kg) ranges from 0.650 to 3.100 mg
(Schrauzer 2002).