Associated factors with mycotoxin exposure in Spanish population

• Published in: Environmental research Vol. 242; p. 117618
• Main Authors: Dasí-Navarro, Nuria, Lozano, Manuel, Llop, Sabrina, Vioque, Jesus, Peiró, Juanjo, Esplugues, Ana, Manyes, Lara, Vila-Donat, Pilar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Inc 01.02.2024
• Subjects: Biomonitoring; Child; Diet; Environment; Female; Food; Food Contamination - analysis; HPLC-Q-TOF-MS; Humans; Metabolites; Mycotoxins - urine; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Urine; Urine; Environment; HPLC-Q-TOF-MS; Biomonitoring; Metabolites; Diet
• ISSN: 0013-9351; 1096-0953
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117618

Human exposure to mycotoxins is a global concern since filamentous fungi can contaminate food and feed from crops to ready-to-eat meals. Human urine biomonitoring is a widely used technique to evaluate mycotoxins exposure, as an alternative to food correlation studies. The aim of this study is to describe human exposure to mycotoxins and to investigate the associated sociodemographic, lifestyle and dietary variables. Participants were 540 women from the Valencia (Spain) cohort of the Spanish Childhood and Environment Project (INMA). A validated multi-mycotoxin method using HPLC-Q-TOF-MS was applied to determine the concentration of ten selected mycotoxins: Enniatin A, Enniatin B, Enniatin A1, Enniatin B1, Beauvericine, Aflatoxin B1, Aflatoxin B2, Aflatoxin G1, Aflatoxin G2 and Ochratoxin A. A simultaneous untargeted screening of mycotoxins and their metabolites has been performed. Mycotoxins associations were assessed by bivariate and multivariate regression models using participants' sociodemographic, lifestyle and dietary data collected through questionnaires. Mycotoxins were detected in 81% of urine samples. The method quantified mycotoxins concentrations in up to 151 samples. Most quantified mycotoxins were: Enniatin B [% of detection (concentration range)] = 26% (1.0–39.7 ng/mg) and Enniatin B1 = 7% (0.5–14.4 ng/mg). Besides the ten-targeted mycotoxins, other mycotoxins and metabolites were studied, and higher incidence was observed for Deepoxy-deoxynivalenol (45%), Ochratoxin B (18%) and Ochratoxin α (17%). Higher mycotoxins concentrations were associated with rural areas as well as with participants belonged to lower social class, beer, light sodas and fruit juice consumers. On the contrary, higher processed meat intake was related to lower mycotoxins’ levels. Studies are required to better evaluate the exposure to mycotoxins from food and their environmental relationships. [Display omitted] •ENNB showed the highest concentration in women's urine.•Highest detection incidence was for DOM-1 (45%), OTB (18%) and OTα (17%).•Nonalcoholic drinks, vegetables and beer consumption showed positive association.•Sausages intake showed a negative association.•Rural areas, lower social class and higher education showed positive associations.