Risk assessment of PCDD/PCDFs and indicator PCBs contamination in Spanish commercial baby food

Assessing the Risk of Exposure to Aflatoxin B1 through the Consumption of Peanuts among Children Aged 6-59 Months in the Lusaka District, Zambia

Aflatoxins B1 (AFB1) are fungi-produced toxins found in crops like peanuts, maize, and tree nuts. They constitute a public health concern due to their genotoxic and carcinogenic effects. A deterministic exposure risk assessment to AFB1 through the consumption of peanuts was conducted on children using the Margin of Exposure (MOE) and the liver cancer risk approaches. Data on AFB1 concentrations in peanuts, quantities of peanut consumption, and the weights of the children were obtained from the literature. Generally, MOE values were below the safe margin of 10,000, ranging between 3.68 and 0.14, 754.34 and 27.33, and 11,428.57 and 419.05 for the high (0.0466 ng/kg), median (0.00023 ng/kg), and low (0.000015 ng/kg) AFB1 concentration levels, respectively. The liver cancer risk upon lifetime exposure to highly AFB1-contaminated peanuts (0.0466 ng/kg) ranged between 1 and 23 (95% lower bound) and 2 and 50 (95% upper bound) cases in a million individuals: a public health concern. A low liver cancer risk (≤1 case in a billion individuals upon lifetime exposure) was shown at median and low AFB1 concentrations. However, the risk of AFB1 should be a priority for risk management since its harmful effects could be potentiated by poor diet, high malnutrition levels, and other disease burdens in Zambia's children.

Occurrence and dietary intake of dioxins, furans (PCDD/Fs), PCBs, and flame retardants (PBDEs and HBCDDs) in baby food and infant formula

This study determines the levels of 49 persistent organic pollutants which were grouped into polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDDs), in infant formula and varieties of baby food. The analyzed samples (n = 80) came from stores all over Poland. The presence of PCDD/F, PCDD/F/PCB and non dioxin-like (ndl)-PCB congeners above the maximum levels stipulated in Commission Regulation (EU) No 1259/2011 was not detected in any sample. The determined average content of PCDD/Fs/dl-PCBs in the tested baby foods was in the range of 4-10 % of the maximum level, and content of ndl-PCBs was in the range of 2-6 % of the maximum level. Despite these low levels of dioxins, furans, and PCBs, a risk analysis assuming weekly consumption of the recommended food intake showed exceedances of the tolerable weekly intake (TWI). The content of flame retardants was low in all examined categories of food for children and infant formula. The lower-bound concentration of the sum of HBCDD isomers (LB ∑HBCDDs) ranged from below the limit of quantification (LOQ) to 0.0313 ng/g w.w. and the concentration of ∑PBDEs was in a 0.001-1.014 ng/g w.w. range. Neither infant formula nor baby food contributed considerably to infant exposure to HBCDDs or PBDEs. Our research indicates that the safe exposure thresholds for dioxins and PCBs in foods for infants and young children may be too high and perhaps it may be necessary to amend the legislation setting acceptable limits for baby food. It seems reasonable to introduce a recommendation on the frequency of food consumption for children and the control of raw materials for food production, in particular fish and cow milk, should be a permanent control point in the food safety assurance system.

Assessment of the Risk of Contamination of Food for Infants and Toddlers

Infants and toddlers are highly sensitive to contaminants in food. Chronic exposure can lead to developmental delays, disorders of the nervous, urinary and immune systems, and to cardiovascular disease. A literature review was conducted mainly in PubMed, Google Scholar and Scopus databases, and took into consideration papers published from October 2020 to March 2021. We focused on contaminant content, intake estimates, and exposure to contaminants most commonly found in foods consumed by infants and children aged 0.5-3 years. In the review, we included 83 publications with full access. Contaminants that pose a high health risk are toxic elements, acrylamide, bisphenol, and pesticide residues. Minor pollutants include: dioxins, mycotoxins, nitrates and nitrites, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. In order to reduce the negative health effects of food contamination, it seems reasonable to educate parents to limit foods that are potentially dangerous for infants and young children. An appropriate varied diet, selected cooking techniques, and proper food preparation can increase the likelihood that the foods children consume are safe for their health. It is necessary to monitor food contamination, adhere to high standards at every stage of production, and improve the quality of food for children.

Estimation of dietary intake and sources of organohalogenated contaminants among infants: 24-h duplicate diet survey in Fukuoka, Japan

The widespread occurrence of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the environment is a matter of concern. In this study, selected organohalogenated contaminants, including dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs) polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), chlordanes (CHLs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs), tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), 2,4,6-tribromophenol (TBP), were measured in complete meal sets (24-h duplicate-diet) of Japanese infants to investigate the levels, profiles, and possible sources of contamination. In total, 46 whole-day meals of infants (7-24-months old) were collected during 2017 from Fukuoka, Japan. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report based on the duplicate-diet method for infants. The median intakes among the POP groups were highest for ΣDDTs (18 ng/day, maximum 251 ng/day), followed by ΣPCBs (17 ng/day, maximum 198 ng/day), ΣCHLs (14 ng/day, maximum 105 ng/day), HCB (11 ng/day, maximum 64 ng/day), TBP (3.5 ng/day, maximum 109 ng/day), ΣHBCDs (1.9 ng/day, maximum 70 ng/day), TBBPA (0.72 ng/day, maximum 34 ng/day), and ΣPBDEs (0.11 ng/day, maximum 4.5 ng/day). Among the PCBs, PCB-138 and PCB-153 were the most abundant congeners (27% and 23%, respectively). p,p'-DDE, the major DDT metabolite, accounted for 96% of total DDTs. Among PBDEs, BDE47 was the only detected congener (present in 4% of the samples). The dietary intake of the targeted compounds was lower than the intake via breast milk, suggesting that the exposure from baby food was limited. In the principal component analysis, chlorinated and brominated compounds were separated on principal component 1, while TBP and α-HBCD were separated on principal component 2, likely suggesting a differing emission time trend or source. PCB-153, PCB-138, trans-chlordane, cis-chlordane, and trans-nonachlor were correlated with seafood consumption (Spearman's ρ = 0.45 to 0.57, p < 0.05), while TBP was correlated with seaweed consumption (Spearman's ρ = 0.46, p < 0.05). Also, four species of commercial edible seaweed in Japan were analyzed to confirm the findings of the duplicate-diet study. The relatively high concentration of TBP (5.5 ± 6.6 ng/g wet weight) was observed in the seaweed samples, indicating that seaweed is a potential exposure source of TBP.

Fish-Based Baby Food Concern-From Species Authentication to Exposure Risk Assessment

In this work, two different but complementary approaches were used to evaluate the reliability of fish-based baby foods as a source of safe nourishment for babies. More specifically, barcoding analysis based on the Cytochrome Oxidase I sequences was used for fish species authentication and an analysis of metal/metalloid levels was performed to estimate the exposure risk assessment derived from consumption of selected fish-based baby food in infants and toddlers. COI DNA barcoding revealed that in three samples the species detected did not match the common name of the species shown on the label. In particular, G. chalcogrammus and M. australis were found in place of M. merluccius and O. mykiss was found in place of S. salar. The analysis of exposure risk assessment indicated a low risk for developing chronic systemic and carcinogenic effects in infants and toddler, under an exposure scenario based on daily consumption of a single box of fish-based baby food. However, it is important to highlight that in order to provide a comprehensive risk assessment it would be important to supplement the levels of exposure resulting from the total diet. Overall, our results suggest that more attention should be paid by authorities to ensure the safety of food for infants and toddlers.

Health risks and source identification of dietary exposure to indicator polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Lanzhou, China

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are widely present in multiple environmental media even long after the phaseout, posing a health risk to the general population. Dietary intake is the major exposure route of PCBs; however, information is limited regarding PCBs in food that people directly consume. This study aims to measure personal exposure to indicator PCBs, evaluate the health risks, and identify their sources in a typical metropolitan city in China. Multi-day food samples were collected from 21 subjects in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, in two seasons using the duplicate plate method. Samples were extracted and analyzed for seven indicator PCBs using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Average daily doses (ADDs) of ∑7PCBs were estimated using Monte Carlo analysis with food intake information. Results show that PCB-118 and PCB-180 were the major congeners in food samples with average concentrations of 1.42 and 1.11 ng/g, respectively. The average (± SD) ADD of ∑7PCBs was 26.47 ± 22.10 ng/kg day among adults aged 18-69 years and displayed small variation across age groups. Comparing with the chronic RfD of 7 ng/kg day, 67% of people had their ADDs exceeding this threshold. The median cancer risk was 5.52 × 10^-5, and 51% of residents had risks exceeding the action level of 10^-4. The principal component analysis identified waste incineration, gasoline engine production, and leakage of #1 PCBs as the major PCBs sources. In conclusion, a large portion of Lanzhou residents has high non-cancer and cancer risks from dietary exposure to PCBs, which warrants control actions targeting these major sources.

Presence of emerging contaminants in baby food

Food safety becomes imperative when it aims to protect infants. The objective of this study was to investigate the presence of emerging contaminants of which some act as endocrine-disruptors in baby food. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), parabens and antibiotics were analysed in 112 baby food of different categories (meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, cheese). As regard POPs, PFASs and antibiotics, no residues were detected, while one sample showed methyl-paraben (4.14 ng g^-1), whereas another three contained propyl-paraben (median 1.70 ng g^-1). Special attention must be paid on parabens metabolites, as 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, the principal parabens metabolite, was detected in all samples (median 176.7 ng g^-1). It may be present as a degradation product, but also, it can be released from vegetables and fruits during food processing. It is recommended to collect more data on natural vs non-natural occurrence of parabens and metabolites to evaluate the exposure of sensitive population vs ADI published by the European Food Safety Authority and European Medicines Agency.

Consumption of Minerals, Toxic Metals and Hydroxymethylfurfural: Analysis of Infant Foods and Formulae

Infant foods and formulae may contain toxic substances and elements which can be neo-formed contaminants or derived from raw materials or processing. The content of minerals, toxic elements, and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in infant foods and formulae were evaluated. The effect of storage temperature on HMF formation in infant formulae and its potential as a quality parameter was also evaluated. Prune-based foods contained the highest HMF content. HMF significantly increased when the storage temperature was elevated to 30 °C for 21 days. All trace elements were present in adequate amounts, while the concentration of nickel was higher when compared to those of other studies. The study indicates that HMF can be used as a quality indicator for product shelf-life and that the concentrations of minerals and toxic elements vary greatly due to the diverse compositions of foods and formulae. Such contaminants need to be monitored as infants represent a vulnerable group compared to adults.

POPs in the South Latin America: Bioaccumulation of DDT, PCB, HCB, HCH and Mirex in blubber of common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) and Fraser's dolphin (Lagenodelphis hosei) from Argentina

Organic compounds, in particular organochlorines, are highly persistent compounds which accumulate in biotic and abiotic substrates. Marine mammals bioaccumulate and biomagnify persistent organic pollutants (POPs) through diet. ∑PCB (26 PCB congeners), ∑DDT (pp-DDT, pp-DDD, pp-DDE), ∑HCH (α-HCH, β-HCH, γ-HCH, δ-HCH), HCB and mirex were analyzed from samples of subcutaneous adipose tissue of common dolphins, Delphinus delphis, and Fraser's dolphins, Lagenodelphis hosei, obtained in 1999 and 2012. The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of POPs to get baseline information on the current state of pollution by these compounds in these two species in South Atlantic. At the same time, to assess concentrations of POPs in relation to age, the total length and sexual maturity in common dolphins. Organochlorine pesticides dominated Fraser's dolphins, DDT being the most abundant, while PCBs were mostly present in common dolphins. In both species, the distributions of isomers or metabolites followed the order: β-HCH>δ-HCH>γ-HCH>α-HCH and pp-DDE>pp-DDD>pp-DDT. As for ∑PCB, the largest contribution was given by congeners of high molecular weight, particularly by hexa and hepta - CBs. Common dolphins did not show effects on sexual maturity, age and standard length in the concentration of organochlorines. The mean concentrations found in this study are lower compared to those reported in other studies performed in dolphins elsewhere. This study provides new information regarding levels of organochlorines in common dolphins for the Southwestern Atlantic.

Occurrence and exposure assessment of polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides from homemade baby food in Korea

Data on the residue levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in baby food samples are scarce. This is the first study to explore current contamination status and exposure assessment of organochlorines (OCs), including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), in baby food from Korea. In this study, the concentrations of OCs were determined in homemade baby food samples (n=100) collected from 6-, 9-, 12- and 15-month-old infant groups. The average concentrations of PCBs, dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethanes (DDTs), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) and chlordanes (CHLs) in baby food samples were 37.5, 96.6, 26.0, and 13.2 pg/g fresh weight, respectively. The major compounds were CBs 28, 153, 52, and 33 for PCBs and p,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDT and β-HCH for OCPs. The contribution of DDTs to the total OC concentrations increased from 30% (6-month-old infants) to 67% (15-month-old infants) with increasing infant age, while the concentrations of PCBs, HCHs and CHLs gradually decreased with increasing infant age, suggesting that highest priority for risk reduction of DDTs. The estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of OCs in Korean infants from baby food consumption were lower than the thresholds proposed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and Health Canada, implying limited potential health risks. However, considering simultaneous exposure from baby food and breast milk consumption, chlordanes and heptachlor epoxide posed potential health risks. Considering the importance of early development and the vulnerability of infants, it is essential to perform systematic monitoring and management programs of OCs in baby food for risk reduction in Korean infants.

Detailed exposure assessment of dietary furan for infants consuming commercially jarred complementary food based on data from the DONALD study

Furan is a possible human carcinogen regularly occurring in commercially jarred complementary foods. This paper will provide a detailed exposure assessment for babies consuming these foods considering different intake scenarios. The occurrence data on furan in complementary foods were based on our own headspace-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (HS-GC/MS) analytical results (n = 286). The average furan content in meals and menus was between 20 and 30 µg kg(-1), which is in excellent agreement with results from other European countries. Using measured food consumption data from the Dortmund Nutritional and Anthropometric Longitudinally Designed (DONALD) study, the average exposures for consumers of commercially jarred foods ranged between 182 and 688 ng kg(-1) bw day(-1), with a worst case scenario for P95 consumers ranging between 351 and 1066 ng kg(-1) bw day(-1). The exposure data were then used to characterize risk using the margin of exposure method based on a benchmark dose lower confidence limit for a 10% response (BMDL10) of 1.28 mg kg(-1) bw day(-1) for hepatocellular tumours in rats. The margin of exposures (MOEs) were below the threshold of 10 000, which is often used to define public health risks, in all scenarios, ranging between 7022 and 1861 for average consumers and between 3642 and 1200 for the P95 consumers. Mitigative measures to avoid furan in complementary foods should be of high priority for risk management.

Risk characterization for mercury, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and polychlorinated biphenyls associated with fish consumption in Serbia

The aim of this work was to assess the risk due to mercury (Hg), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (ndl PCBs) intake via fish consumption in Serbia. We have developed 24 scenarios using four concentration levels (mean, maximum, 50th and 95th percentile) of contaminants, determined in 521 samples of fish products available on Serbian market; two consumption levels (Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization data and recommendation of American Heart Association); and three body weights (5th, 50th and 95th percentile). All the values concerning the intake of DDT are below the corresponding health based guidance value. Calculated weekly intake of Hg using maximal concentration, intake of 340g/week and 5th percentile of body weight exceeded the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI). When maximal and 95th percentile concentration of ndl PCBs was used, weekly intakes exceeded a "guidance value" with one exception i.e., when 95th percentile of concentration along with 95th percentile of body weight were used. Concerning Hg and ndl PCBs, when extreme concentrations were used, HIs exceeded the value of 1, indicating that fish and fishery products may pose a threat to consumer's health.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and indicator polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in marine fish from four areas of China

The levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and indicator polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were determined in marine fish from four areas of China (South China Sea, Bohai Sea, East China Sea, and Yellow Sea) using GC/NCI-MS and GC/ITMS, respectively. Total concentrations of eight PBDEs (BDE-28, 47, 99, 100, 153, 154, 183 and 209) in all samples ranged from 0.3ngg(-1)ww (wet weight) to 700 ng g(-1)ww, with median and mean values of 85 ng g(-1)ww and 200 ng g(-1)ww, respectively. BDE-209 and BDE-47 were the major congeners in all samples, contributing 54% and 19% to the total concentration, respectively. The sum of seven indicator PCB levels (CB-28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153, and 180) ranged from 0.3 ng g(-1)ww to 3.1 μg g(-1)ww, with median and mean values of 6.4 ng g(-1)ww and 398 ng g(-1)ww, respectively. High contributions of CB-138 (32%) and CB-153 (25%) were found in all samples. In general, pollutants measured in this study were at high levels when compared with previous studies from other regions in the world. The relative abundance of BDE-209 may suggest that deca-BDE sources existed in studied area. And principal component analysis (PCA) showed that there were other PBDE sources in Yellow Sea. The pattern and PCA showed that PCB pollutions came from similar sources in the studied areas. In addition, concentrations of ∑(7)PBDEs (u/209) were strongly correlated with those of ∑(7)PCBs in all fish (r=0.907, n=44).

Congener profile, occurrence and estimated dietary intake of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in foods marketed in the Region of Valencia (Spain)

During 2006-2008, a monitoring program was conducted on 29 target compounds, including PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs, comprising 150 randomly collected individual food samples marketed in the Region of Valencia, Spain, grouped into 8 categories (vegetables, cereals, fats and oils, eggs, milk and dairy products, fish products, meat and meat products and fish oil). For PCDD/Fs, the highest frequency of detection corresponds to 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDD, OCDD, 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF; and PCBs 118, 105 and 156 were the more frequent dl-PCBs. The food groups presenting higher contamination, expressed as toxic equivalents (WHO-TEQs), were fish oil (6.38 pg WHO-TEQ g(-1)fat), fish (1.21 pg WHO-TEQ g(-1)w.w.) and milk and dairy products (0.90 pg WHO-TEQ g(-1)fat). Of all analysed samples, only two fish oils presented levels higher than the EU limits for total WHO-TEQ. The average PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs intakes were estimated as 2.86 pg WHO-TEQ kg(-1)b.w.d(-1) and 4.58 pg WHO-TEQ kg(-1)b.w.d(-1), for adults and children, respectively, using the deterministic method for chronic exposure. The main contributors to total intake for adults were fish (59%), milk and dairy products (19%), and fat and oils (9%). The average daily intake for adults (2.86 pg WHO-TEQ kg(-1)b.w.d(-1)) is within range of TDI recommended by the WHO (1-4 pg WHO-TEQ kg(-1)b.w.d(-1)), and slightly above the TWI and PTMI adopted by SCF and JECFA respectively.