Browsing by Author "Osteresch, Bernd"
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- Co-exposure to mycotoxins: the case of waste management workersPublication . Viegas, Susana; Osteresch, Bernd; Almeida, Ana; Cramer, Benedikt; Humpf, Hans-Ulrich; Viegas, CarlaIntroduction - Occupational exposures are characterized by being complex and associated to co-exposure to several contaminants by different exposure routes. Even if exposure occurs to only a chemical agent, it can have different exposure routes and can result in different health effects. The waste management setting is recognized by the presence of several chemical and biologic agents in the workplaces. Recently, it was reported occupational exposure to Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in one Portuguese waste management industry. However, data regarding to fungal burden showed that exposure to other mycotoxins should be expected. Aim of the study - The aim of the present work was to know if workers from this waste management industry were exposed to other mycotoxins besides AFB1.
- Enniatin B and ochratoxin A in the blood serum of workers from the waste management settingPublication . Viegas, Susana; Osteresch, Bernd; Almeida, Ana; Cramer, Benedikt; Humpf, Hans-Ulrich; Viegas, CarlaThe waste management occupational environment is recognized by the simultaneous presence of several substances and biologic agents. Therefore, workers are exposed simultaneously to multiple contaminants. Occupational exposure to aflatoxin B1 in one Portuguese waste sorting plant was already reported. However, besides this mycotoxin, data regarding fungal contamination showed that exposure to other mycotoxins could be expected. A study was developed to analyze if exposure to other mycotoxins besides aflatoxin B1 was occurring in the workers from the waste sorting plant previously assessed and to discuss how these findings need to be considered in the risk assessment process. In addition to aflatoxin B1 detected previously by ELISA, two additional mycotoxins and one mycotoxin degradation product were detected and quantified 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.
- Exposure assessment to mycotoxins in a Portuguese fresh bread dough company by using a multi-biomarker approachPublication . Viegas, Susana; Assunção, Ricardo; Nunes, Carla; Osteresch, Bernd; Twarużek, Magdalena; Kosicki, Robert; Grajewski, Jan; Martins, Carla; Alvito, Paula; Almeida, Ana; Viegas, CarlaMycotoxins are toxic mold metabolites that can persist in environment long after the fungi species responsible for their production disappear. Critical workplace for mycotoxins presence has already been studied and nowadays it is possible to recognize that exposure to mycotoxins through inhalation occurs due to their presence in dust. This study aimed to assess occupational co-exposure to multiple mycotoxins in a fresh bread dough company, an occupational setting not studied until now. Occupational exposure assessment to mycotoxins was done using a LC-MS/MS urinary multi-biomarker approach. Twenty-one workers and nineteen individuals that were used as controls participated in the study. Workers/controls (spot-urine) and environment (settled dust) samples were collected and analyzed. Concerning workers group, DON-GlcA, and OTA were the most prevalent biomarkers (>LOD), 66% and 90.5%, respectively. In the control group, OTA was also one of the most detected (68%) followed by CIT (58%) and DON-GlcA (58%). DON was the mycotoxin measured in high amounts in the settled dust sample (58.2 ng/g). Both workers and controls are exposed to several mycotoxins simultaneously. The workers group, due to their high contact with flour dust, revealed a higher exposure to DON. Considering these results, risk management measures must be applied including specific and adequate health surveillance programs in order to avoid exposure and consequently the associated health consequences.
- Multi-mycotoxin analysis using dried blood spots and dried serum spotsPublication . Osteresch, Bernd; Viegas, Susana; Cramer, Benedikt; Humpf, Hans-UlrichIn this study, a rapid multi-mycotoxin approach was developed for biomonitoring and quantification of 27 important mycotoxins and mycotoxin metabolites in human blood samples. HPLC-MS/MS detection was used for the analysis of dried serum spots (DSS) and dried blood spots (DBS). Detection of aflatoxins (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, AFG2, AFM1), trichothecenes (deoxynivalenol, DON; DON-3-glucoronic acid, DON-3-GlcA; T-2; HT-2; and HT-2-4-GlcA), fumonisin B1 (FB1), ochratoxins (OTA and its thermal degradation product 2'R-OTA; OTα; 10-hydroxychratoxin A, 10-OH-OTA), citrinin (CIT and its urinary metabolite dihydrocitrinone, DH-CIT), zearalenone and zearalanone (ZEN, ZAN), altenuene (ALT), alternariols (AOH; alternariol monomethyl ether, AME), enniatins (EnA, EnA1, EnB, EnB1) and beauvericin (Bea) was validated for two matrices, serum (DSS), and whole blood (DBS). HPLC-MS/MS analysis showed signal suppression as well as signal enhancement due to matrix effects. However, for most analytes LOQs in the lower pg/mL range and excellent recovery rate were achieved using matrix-matched calibration. Besides validation of the method, the analyte stability in DBS and DSS was also investigated. Stability is a main issue for some analytes when the dried samples are stored under common conditions at room temperature. Nevertheless, the developed method was applied to DBS samples of a German cohort (n = 50). Besides positive findings of OTA and 2'R-OTA, all samples were positive for EnB. This methodical study establishes a validated multi-mycotoxin approach for the detection of 27 mycotoxins and metabolites in dried blood/serum spots based on a fast sample preparation followed by sensitive HPLC-MS/MS analysis.
- Occupational exposure to fungi and mycotoxins in cork industry: an exploratory studyPublication . Viegas, Susana; Osteresch, Bernd; Hövelmann, Yannick; Faria, Tiago; Gomes, Anita Quintal; Cramer, Benedikt; Viegas, Carla; Humpf, Hans-UlrichCork oak is the second most dominant forest species in Portugal and makes this country the work leader in cork export. This type of industry has already been associated with occupational exposure to several fungal species, most commonly with Penicillium globrum (belonging to Penicillium section Aspergilloides) and Chrysonilia sitophila. However, occupational exposure to mycotoxins has never been studied. Here we describe an exploratory work developed in a cork industry located in Portugal aiming at assessing exposure to fungi and mycotoxins.
- Occupational exposure to mycotoxins in swine production: environmental and biological monitoring approachesPublication . Viegas, Susana; Assunção, Ricardo; Martins, Carla; Nunes, Carla; Osteresch, Bernd; Twarużek, Magdalena; Kosicki, Robert; Grajewski, Jan; Ribeiro, Edna; Viegas, CarlaSwine production workers are exposed simultaneously to multiple contaminants. Occupational exposure to aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in Portuguese swine production farms has already been reported. However, besides AFB1, data regarding fungal contamination showed that exposure to other mycotoxins could be expected in this setting. The present study aimed to characterize the occupational exposure to multiple mycotoxins of swine production workers. To provide a broad view on the burden of contamination by mycotoxins and the workers’ exposure, biological (urine) samples from workers (n = 25) and 38 environmental samples (air samples, n = 23; litter samples, n = 5; feed samples, n = 10) were collected. The mycotoxins biomarkers detected in the urine samples of the workers' group were the deoxynivalenol-glucuronic acid conjugate (60%), aflatoxin M1 (16%), enniatin B (4%), citrinin (8%), dihydrocitrinone (12%) and ochratoxin A (80%). Results of the control group followed the same pattern, but in general with a lower number of quantifiable results (