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Aflatoxin M1 in distributed milks in northwestern Iran: occurrence, seasonal variation, and risk assessment

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Abstract

Aflatoxin is one of the dangerous fungal toxins that is produced in the presence of humidity and heat and lack of proper storage conditions and is considered as a dangerous substance threatening human health. The work aimed to determination of aflatoxin M1 (AFM) level in raw, pasteurized, and sterilized milks offered in the study area and to evaluate the risk of its consumption. In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 60 samples of milk types supplied in the region were collected during two series of sampling (cold and hot seasons) and analyzed by ELISA method. LCR, MoE, and HI indices were used to assess the possible risk of consuming milk containing AFM. In all taken samples AFM was found, the toxin concentration range in the first and second series of sampling was 57.5–270.6 ng/L and 57–185.9 ng/L, respectively. The level of toxin in pasteurized and sterilized milks in both sampling series was higher than raw milks. Based on the obtained data and in order to assess the risk of milk consumption in the target population, associated values with EDI, LCR, MoE, and HI were also calculated and obtained in the range of 0.145–0.3 ng/k.d b.w, 0.0008–0.0017 additional case per one million population, 1892.9–3921.6 and 0.72–1.5 ng/kg b.w, respectively. According to the findings, all samples tested are contaminated and although it is within the range of the WHO recommendation, however, based on the calculated indicators, the risk of liver cancer threatens the consumers of these milks. Therefore, it is necessary to manage this issue through educational control and monitoring measures.

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Data and materials availability

The data used and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Notes

  1. Margin of exposure.

  2. Hazard index.

  3. Percentage of population.

  4. Hepatitis B virus.

  5. Benchmark dose.

  6. Threshold dose per B.W which divided by 5000.

  7. Liver Cancer Risk.

  8. European Food Safety Authority.

  9. Benchmark dose level 10 (associated with a 10% extra risk of adverse effect in the exposed test animals, as compared to the background levels of risk).

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Acknowledgements

We hereby express our sincere gratitude to the Vice President for Research at Ardabil University of Medical Sciences who approved and financially supported this research project and also to the experts working at Laboratory of Vice Chancellor for Food and Drug who cooperated in conducting relevant experiments.

Funding

This study was financially supported by the Vice Chancellor for Research of Ardabil University of Medical Sciences (Project No. 213).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran

    Seyyed Ahmad Mokhtari & Anoshirvan Seddigh

  2. Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran

    Ali Nemati

  3. Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran

    Mehdi Fazlzadeh

  4. Department of Public Health, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran

    Eslam Moradi-Asl

  5. Food and Drug Administration, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran

    Vahid Taefi Ardabili

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  1. Seyyed Ahmad Mokhtari
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  2. Ali Nemati
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  4. Eslam Moradi-Asl
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Contributions

Ahmad Mokhtari, Mehdi Fazlzadeh, and Ali Nemati participated in the conceptualization and design of the research and supervised the work. Eslam Moradi-asl and Vahid Taefi Ardabili are responsible for experimental analysis and interpretation of data. Anoshirvan Seddigh contributed to literature search and quality assessment. All authors have read and approved the final paper as submitted.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Ali Nemati or Mehdi Fazlzadeh.

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Ethics approval

The study was approved by the Ethical Committee of Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Iran (Code of ethics: IR. ARUMS. REC.1398.213).

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Mokhtari, S.A., Nemati, A., Fazlzadeh, M. et al. Aflatoxin M1 in distributed milks in northwestern Iran: occurrence, seasonal variation, and risk assessment. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 41429–41438 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-18212-9

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