Enniatin B and ochratoxin A in the blood serum of workers from the waste management setting

• Authors: Almeida A, Cramer B, Humpf HU, Osteresch B, Viegas C, Viegas S
• Publication Year: 2017
• Journal: Mycotoxin Research
• Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12550-017-0302-1%20

The waste management occupational environment is recognized by the simultaneous presence of several substances and biologic agents. Therefore, workers are exposed simultaneously to multiple contaminants. It has also been reported occupational exposure to aflatoxin B₁ in one Portuguese waste sorting plant. However, besides this mycotoxin, data regarding fungal contamination showed that exposure to other mycotoxins could be expected.

The authors developed a study to analyze if exposure to other mycotoxins besides aflatoxin B₁ was occurring in the workers from the waste sorting plant previously assessed. They also wanted to discuss how these findings need to be considered in the risk assessment process. In addition, to aflatoxin B₁ detected previously by ELISA, the authors also detected two additional mycotoxins and one mycotoxin degradation product. Moreover, they quantified these toxins by a multi-mycotoxin HPLC-MS/MS approach: Enniatin B and ochratoxin A as well as 2’R-ochratoxin A. Besides the confirmation of co-exposure to several mycotoxins, results probably indicate different exposure routes for the mycotoxins reported.