ABSTRACT
This chapter describes one methodology to estimate how much soil young children eat. Techniques to assess the amount of soil consumed by children have been adopted from those used in veterinary science to estimate the soil eaten by animals. The exposure condition of these animals varied widely from studies in confined areas with little grass covering, to vast open ranges with 4-5 in. grass, and over several seasons of the year. The amount of soil ingested by these animals was estimated through the determination of titanium concentration in feces. Some research has specifically addressed soil consumption in children. The authors were unable to resolve the apparent conflict between the estimations based on aluminum or silicon tracers and the estimations based on titanium. Titanium dioxide is the major pigment in paint and may contribute to substantial soil concentrations as it weathers from the house and falls to the ground.
