TY - JOUR
T1 - Survey on urinary levels of aflatoxins in professionally exposed workers
AU - Ferri, Fulvio
AU - Brera, Carlo
AU - De Santis, Barbara
AU - Fedrizzi, Giorgio
AU - Bacci, Tiziana
AU - Bedogni, Lorena
AU - Capanni, Sauro
AU - Collini, Giorgia
AU - Crespi, Enrica
AU - Debegnach, Francesca
AU - Ferdenzi, Patrizia
AU - Gargano, Angelo
AU - Gattei, Daniela
AU - Luberto, Ferdinando
AU - Magnani, Ines
AU - Magnani, Massimo Giuseppe
AU - Mancuso, Pamela
AU - Menotta, Simonetta
AU - Mozzanica, Stefania
AU - Olmi, Milva
AU - Ombrini, Giuseppe
AU - Sala, Orietta
AU - Soricelli, Sabina
AU - Vicentini, Massimo
AU - Rossi, Paolo Giorgi
PY - 2017/4/1
Y1 - 2017/4/1
N2 - Feed mill workers may handle or process maize contaminated with aflatoxins (AFs). This condition may lead to an unacceptable intake of toxins deriving from occupational exposure. This study assessed the serological and urinary levels of AFs in workers exposed to potentially contaminated dusts in two mills. From March to April 2014, blood and urine samples were collected, on Monday and Friday morning of the same working week from 29 exposed workers and 30 non-exposed controls. AFs (M1, G2, G1, B1, B2) and aflatoxicol (AFOH) A were analyzed. Each subject filled in a questionnaire to evaluate potential food-borne exposures to mycotoxins. AFs contamination in environmental dust was measured in both plants. No serum sample was found to be positive. Seventy four percent of urine samples (73.7%) revealed AFM1 presence. AFM1 mean concentration was 0.035 and 0.027 ng/mL in exposed and non-exposed workers, respectively (p = 0.432); the concentration was slightly higher in Friday’s than in Monday’s samples, in exposed workers, 0.040 versus (vs.) 0.031 and non-exposed controls (0.030 vs. 0.024, p = 0.437). Environmental AFs contamination ranged from 7.2 to 125.4 µg/kg. The findings of this study reveal the presence of higher AFs concentration in exposed workers than in non-exposed controls, although these differences are to be considered consistent with random fluctuations.
AB - Feed mill workers may handle or process maize contaminated with aflatoxins (AFs). This condition may lead to an unacceptable intake of toxins deriving from occupational exposure. This study assessed the serological and urinary levels of AFs in workers exposed to potentially contaminated dusts in two mills. From March to April 2014, blood and urine samples were collected, on Monday and Friday morning of the same working week from 29 exposed workers and 30 non-exposed controls. AFs (M1, G2, G1, B1, B2) and aflatoxicol (AFOH) A were analyzed. Each subject filled in a questionnaire to evaluate potential food-borne exposures to mycotoxins. AFs contamination in environmental dust was measured in both plants. No serum sample was found to be positive. Seventy four percent of urine samples (73.7%) revealed AFM1 presence. AFM1 mean concentration was 0.035 and 0.027 ng/mL in exposed and non-exposed workers, respectively (p = 0.432); the concentration was slightly higher in Friday’s than in Monday’s samples, in exposed workers, 0.040 versus (vs.) 0.031 and non-exposed controls (0.030 vs. 0.024, p = 0.437). Environmental AFs contamination ranged from 7.2 to 125.4 µg/kg. The findings of this study reveal the presence of higher AFs concentration in exposed workers than in non-exposed controls, although these differences are to be considered consistent with random fluctuations.
KW - Aflatoxin M1
KW - Aflatoxins
KW - Animal feed
KW - Maize
KW - Occupational exposure
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85016139692&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85016139692&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/toxins9040117
DO - 10.3390/toxins9040117
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85016139692
VL - 9
JO - Toxins
JF - Toxins
SN - 2072-6651
IS - 4
M1 - 117
ER -