Risk assessment of dietary exposure to methylmercury in fish in the UK

Risk assessment of chemicals in food is generally based upon the results of toxicological studies in laboratory animals, allowing for uncertainties relating to interspecies differences, human variability, and gaps in the database. Use of quantitative human data is preferable if available, as in the example of methylmercury. Methylmercury is a neurotoxic environmental contaminant, for which fish is the main source of dietary exposure. Human data from poisoning incidents and epidemiological studies have been used by expert committees to derive a guideline intake level for methylmercury, based on the susceptibility of the most sensitive lifestage, the developing fetus. In the UK, an expert group of nutritionists and toxicologists was formed to review the benefits and risks associated with fish consumption. A formal risk–benefit analysis was not possible because the nutritional data were not sufficiently quantitative. The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT), therefore, modified the risk assessment approach to derive different guideline intake levels for different subgroups of the population. The COT opinion was used to provide targeted advice on how much fish can be consumed without undue risk from the contaminants. Consumption by adults of one weekly portion (140 g) of shark, swordfish or marlin, would lead to an exceedance of the guideline intake for methylmercury of 40–90%, set to protect the developing fetus, without considering intake from the rest of the diet. Pregnant women and women who may become pregnant within 1 year were, therefore, advised to avoid consumption of these species. Intakes in other adults would be within a higher guideline intake, set to protect groups of the population other than the developing fetus. However, consumption by children of one weekly portion of these species could lead to an exceedance of this guideline intake by up to 60%, without considering intake from the rest of the diet. It was, therefore, advised that consumption of these species by children should be avoided.

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An Exposure-based Risk Assessment Approach to Safety Evaluation of Consumer Products

Epidemiology ◽

10.1097/01.ede.0000392107.06924.ef ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 22 ◽

pp. S142-S143

Author(s):

Seok Kwon ◽

Christina Cowan-Ellsberry

Keyword(s):

Risk Assessment ◽

Safety Evaluation ◽

Consumer Products ◽

Assessment Approach

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Human Elimination of Phthalate Compounds: Blood, Urine, and Sweat (BUS) Study

The Scientific World JOURNAL ◽

10.1100/2012/615068 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 48

Author(s):

Stephen J. Genuis ◽

Sanjay Beesoon ◽

Rebecca A. Lobo ◽

Detlef Birkholz

Keyword(s):

High Performance ◽

Effective Means ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Consumer Products ◽

High Exposure ◽

Estrogenic Effects ◽

Toxicological Studies ◽

Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass ◽

Ethylhexyl Phthalate

Background. Individual members of the phthalate family of chemical compounds are components of innumerable everyday consumer products, resulting in a high exposure scenario for some individuals and population groups. Multiple epidemiological studies have demonstrated statistically significant exposure-disease relationships involving phthalates and toxicological studies have shown estrogenic effects in vitro. Data is lacking in the medical literature, however, on effective means to facilitate phthalate excretion.Methods. Blood, urine, and sweat were collected from 20 individuals (10 healthy participants and 10 participants with assorted health problems) and analyzed for parent phthalate compounds as well as phthalate metabolites using high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.Results. Some parent phthalates as well as their metabolites were excreted into sweat. All patients had MEHP (mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate) in their blood, sweat, and urine samples, suggesting widespread phthalate exposure. In several individuals, DEHP (di (2-ethylhexl) phthalate) was found in sweat but not in serum, suggesting the possibility of phthalate retention and bioaccumulation. On average, MEHP concentration in sweat was more than twice as high as urine levels.Conclusions. Induced perspiration may be useful to facilitate elimination of some potentially toxic phthalate compounds including DEHP and MEHP. Sweat analysis may be helpful in establishing the existence of accrued DEHP in the human body.

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Bridging the gap between risk and recovery: a human needs approach

The Psychiatrist ◽

10.1192/pb.bp.110.030759 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 35 (2) ◽

pp. 68-73 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Ashimesh Roychowdhury

Keyword(s):

Risk Assessment ◽

Management Practices ◽

Risk Behaviour ◽

Psychiatric Services ◽

Recovery Model ◽

Explicit Integration ◽

Human Needs ◽

Assessment Approach ◽

The Uk ◽

Recovery Approach

SummaryThere is an inexorable drive in psychiatric services in the UK, including forensic services, towards organising and delivering care based on the principles of the recovery model. Hence recovery, and its subjective and objective measures, is the goal of these services and the standard by which the quality of the service is evaluated. At the same time, all psychiatric services are expected to practise evidence-based risk assessment and management practices and can be subject to severe criticism or sanctions if they do not do so. In this paper I set out the view that the values that underlie the recovery approach and the clinical risk assessment approach appear to be polar opposites. However, an understanding of human behaviour using a humanneeds model is an explanatory paradigm that underlies both the recovery model and the understanding of risk behaviour, and can thus unify these two approaches. Therefore a more explicit integration of this model into forensic care would be beneficial and there should be more research directed to the correlates of recovery-oriented measures and risk-related measures.

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Endocrine disruption of vitamin D activity by perfluoro-octanoic acid (PFOA)

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-74026-8 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Andrea Di Nisio ◽

Maria Santa Rocca ◽

Luca De Toni ◽

Iva Sabovic ◽

Diego Guidolin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vitamin D ◽

Endocrine Disruption ◽

Bone Development ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Consumer Products ◽

Target Cells ◽

Surface Plasmon Resonance Analysis ◽

Cellular Targets ◽

Toxicological Studies

Abstract Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of compounds used in industry and consumer products. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is the predominant form in human samples and has been shown to induce severe health consequences, such as neonatal mortality, neurotoxicity, and immunotoxicity. Toxicological studies indicate that PFAS accumulate in bone tissues and cause altered bone development. Epidemiological studies have reported an inverse relationship between PFAS and bone health, however the associated mechanisms are still unexplored. Here, we present computational, in silico and in vitro evidence supporting the interference of PFOA on vitamin D (VD). First, PFOA competes with calcitriol on the same binding site of the VD receptor, leading to an alteration of the structural flexibility and a 10% reduction by surface plasmon resonance analysis. Second, this interference leads to an altered response of VD-responsive genes in two cellular targets of this hormone, osteoblasts and epithelial cells of the colorectal tract. Third, mineralization in human osteoblasts is reduced upon coincubation of PFOA with VD. Finally, in a small cohort of young healthy men, PTH levels were higher in the exposed group, but VD levels were comparable. Altogether these results provide the first evidence of endocrine disruption by PFOA on VD pathway by competition on its receptor and subsequent inhibition of VD-responsive genes in target cells.

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Development and Validation of an Analytical Method for Quantitation of Monobutylphthalate, a Metabolite of Di-n-Butylphthalate, in Rat Plasma, Amniotic Fluid, Fetuses and Pups by UPLC-MS/MS

Journal of Analytical Toxicology ◽

10.1093/jat/bkz090 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 44 (4) ◽

pp. 370-377 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Melanie A Rehder Silinski ◽

Reshan A Fernando ◽

Veronica G Robinson ◽

Suramya Waidyanatha

Keyword(s):

Amniotic Fluid ◽

Endocrine System ◽

Rat Plasma ◽

Consumer Products ◽

Negative Ion ◽

Laboratory Animals ◽

Sprague Dawley ◽

Simple Method ◽

Toxicological Studies ◽

Relative Standard

Abstract Phthalates have been used for decades as softening agents in the production of plastics, but in recent years have been extensively investigated for their potential hazards to human health and the environment. Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), with widespread exposure occurring through a variety of consumer products such as cosmetics and pesticides, is a suspected carcinogen and an endocrine system disruptor in both humans and laboratory animals. Its predominant metabolite is the monoester, monobutyl phthalate (MBP), which can serve as a marker of exposure. To support toxicological studies of DBP in pregnant and lactating rats and their offspring, a novel ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for quantitation of MBP in rat plasma, amniotic fluid, fetuses and whole pup samples. Plasma samples were extracted using a simple protein precipitation with acetonitrile. Extraction and delipidation of pup homogenate was performed using acetonitrile and then submerging the vials in liquid nitrogen. Extracts were analyzed by UPLC-MS/MS in the negative ion mode. The method was successfully validated over the concentration ranges 25–5,000 ng/mL in female Sprague Dawley (SD) rat plasma and 50–5,000 ng/g in SD pup homogenate. Matrix calibration curves were linear (r ≥ 0.99), and the percent relative error (%RE) values were ≤ ±15% for standards at all levels. Absolute recoveries were > 92% in both matrices. The limits of detection (LODs) were 6.9 ng/mL in plasma and 9.4 ng/g in pup homogenate. Acceptable intra- and interday accuracy and precision were demonstrated by mean %RE ≤ ±7.5 and relative standard deviation (%RSD) ≤ 10.1%. Extract stability was demonstrated for ~6 days at various temperatures and freeze–thaw stability was demonstrated after 3 cycles over 3 days. Secondary matrix evaluation was performed for MBP in amniotic fluid and pooled fetus homogenate (mean %RE ≤ ±11.5 and %RSD ≤ 13.7). These data demonstrate that this simple method is suitable for determination of MBP in plasma, amniotic fluid, fetus and pup samples from toxicological studies of DBP.

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Evaluating Hazards Posed by Additives in Food: A Review of Studies Adopting a Risk Assessment Approach

Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science Journal ◽

10.12944/crnfsj.3.3.08 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

pp. 243-255 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Arushi Jain ◽

Pulkit Mathur

Keyword(s):

Risk Assessment ◽

Health Risks ◽

Food Industry ◽

Food Additives ◽

Daily Intake ◽

Dietary Exposure ◽

Acceptable Daily Intake ◽

Sunset Yellow ◽

Assessment Approach ◽

Multiple Scenarios

Processing and packaging has increased the use of food additives in the food industry. Some of these additives have associated health risks. This review looks at studies on risk assessment of food additives published between 2000-2015. These studies have majorly focused on synthetic food colors and preservatives like benzoate, sorbate, nitrite and nitrate. Most of the studies have shown that the intake was below the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for average consumers. For extreme consumers (95th percentile), intake was found to be above the ADI or approaching ADI for additives like sunset yellow FCF, erythrosine, tartrazine, sulphite, benzoate and nitrite. It is advisable to look at multiple scenarios of dietary exposure while evaluating risk. A surveillance system which documents adverse effects to food additives as well as monitors risk on a regular basis is important for every country to have. Such data would be beneficial to regulatory authorities as well as the industry in fixing usage levels of the additive in an effort to minimize health risk.

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The Coffee–Acrylamide Apparent Paradox: An Example of Why the Health Impact of a Specific Compound in a Complex Mixture Should Not Be Evaluated in Isolation

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu12103141 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (10) ◽

pp. 3141

Author(s):

Astrid Nehlig ◽

Rodrigo A. Cunha

Keyword(s):

Complex Mixture ◽

Dietary Exposure ◽

Health Impact ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Individual Molecule ◽

Apparent Paradox ◽

Toxicological Studies ◽

Dietary Acrylamide ◽

Cancer Types ◽

Species Specific

The health implications of acrylamide in food are a matter of concern based on toxicological studies in rodents, which showed that doses of acrylamide more than 100 times higher than those estimated to result from dietary exposure in humans are carcinogenic; however, the cancer types reported in rodents are species-specific, and whether these results can be extrapolated to humans is still in question. In fact, human epidemiological studies revealed a general lack of association between dietary acrylamide exposure and the incidence of different cancer types. Even occupational exposure to acrylamide, resulting in acrylamide exposure nearly 10 times higher than dietary exposure, did not increase tumor occurrence. Furthermore, the consumption of coffee, which is a main contributor of dietary acrylamide exposure, actually decreases the overall incidence of cancer in humans and afford global health benefits, increasing both lifespan and healthspan on ageing. This paradox clearly illustrates the risk of evaluating an individual molecule independently of its complete food matrix, which may have other components that completely override the effects of the considered molecule.

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Actual issues of hygienic regulation and creation of safe working conditions at pharmaceutical manufacturing enterprises

Russian Journal of Occupational Health and Industrial Ecology ◽

10.31089/1026-9428-2020-60-10-640-644 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 60 (10) ◽

pp. 640-644

Author(s):

Vadim M. Vasilkevich ◽

Ruslan V. Bogdanov ◽

Elena V. Drozdova

Keyword(s):

Pharmaceutical Industry ◽

Working Conditions ◽

Experimental Studies ◽

Pharmaceutical Products ◽

Laboratory Animals ◽

Production Environment ◽

Basic Principles ◽

Toxicological Studies ◽

Health Disorders ◽

Safe Working

Introduction. The working conditions of pharmaceutical industry workers are characterized by the combined effect of unfavorable factors of the production environment, among which the leading one is chemical. The aim of study is to substantiate the basic principles and criteria for hygienic regulation of pharmaceutical products in their production to ensure safe working conditions for employees based on the results of their own research and existing requirements of technical regulations. Materials and methods. Analysis of working conditions and the prevalence of health disorders in pharmaceutical workers (according to literature data), toxicological studies of pharmaceutical substances on laboratory animals, scientific justification of hygiene standards in the air of the working area. Results. Among employees of the pharmaceutical industry, the predominant forms of production-related health disorders are diseases of the respiratory system, as well as skin dermatitis of allergic origin, liver and biliary tract diseases. Based on the results of experimental studies of domestic pharmaceutical products for the treatment of cardiovascular, oncological and mental diseases that have priority socio-economic significance, the basic principles and features of the practice of justifying the hygienic standards of medicines in the air of the working area are developed and systematized. Conclusions. During hygienic rationing of medicines, it is necessary to use a differentiated approach that allows, based on the analysis of information about the chemical structure, physical and chemical characteristics, production conditions, pharmacotherapeutic activity, and the results of studying the toxic effect in an experiment on laboratory animals, to determine the maximum permissible content in the air of the working area of medicines or to justify the prohibition of isolation with reasoned recommendations for their safe production.

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