Multimycotoxin Exposure Assessment in UK Children Using Urinary Biomarkers—A Pilot Survey

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.9b03964
• Publication Date: 2019-12-12T09:48:25Z
• Authors: Silvia W. Gratz; Valerie Currie; Gary Duncan; Diane Jackson
• Keywords: Tolerable daily intake; Food contaminant; Exposure Assessment

Cereal foods are commonly contaminated with multiple mycotoxins resulting in frequent human mycotoxin exposure. Children at risk of high-level exposure because their high cereal intake relative to body weight. Hence, this study aims assess multimycotoxin UK children using urinary biomarkers. Spot urines (n = 21) were analyzed for multimycotoxins (deoxynivalenol, DON; nivalenol, NIV; ochratoxin A, OTA; zearalenone, ZEN; α-zearalenol, α-ZEL; β-zearalenol, β-ZEL; T-2 toxin, T-2; HT-2 HT-2; and aflatoxin B1 M1, AFB1, AFM1) liquid chromatography-coupled tandem mass spectrometry. Urine samples frequently contained DON (13.10 ± 12.69 ng/mL), NIV (0.36 0.16 OTA (0.05 0.02 ZEN (0.09 0.07 ng/mL). Some (1-3) T-2, HT-2, α-ZEL, β-ZEL but not aflatoxins. Dietary estimation showed that exposed levels exceeding the tolerable daily (52 95% cases OTA). This demonstrates through habitual diet.