Coordination of chemical analyses under the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU): Concepts, procedures and lessons learnt.

The European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU) ran from 2017 to 2022 with the aim of advancing and harmonizing human biomonitoring in Europe. More than 40,000 analyses were performed on human samples in different human biomonitoring studies in HBM4EU, addressing the chemical exposure of the general population, temporal developments, occupational exposure and a public health intervention on mercury in populations with high fish consumption. The analyses covered 15 priority groups of organic chemicals and metals and were carried out by a network of laboratories meeting the requirements of a comprehensive quality assurance and control system.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals in indoor dust: A review of temporal and spatial trends, and human exposure.

Several chemicals with widespread consumer uses have been identified as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), with a potential risk to humans. The occurrence in indoor dust and resulting human exposure have been reviewed for six groups of known and suspected EDCs, including phthalates and non-phthalate plasticizers, flame retardants, bisphenols, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), biocides and personal care product additives (PCPs). Some banned or restricted EDCs, such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), bisphenol A (BPA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), are still widely detected in indoor dust in most countries, even as the predominating compounds of their group, but generally with decreasing trends.

Bioaccessibility of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Grilled Meat: The Effects of Meat Doneness and Fat Content.

Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) through diet is gaining concern due to the risk it poses to human health. This study evaluated the bioaccessibility of PAHs contained in charcoal-grilled beef and chicken in different segments of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) with regard to the degree of doneness and fat content of the meats. The levels of 15 PAHs in the grilled meat samples and bioaccessible fractions were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) equipped with PAH column, and UV and fluorescence detectors.

Sample preparation techniques for suspect and non-target screening of emerging contaminants.

The progress in sensitivity and resolution in mass spectrometers in recent years provides the possibility to detect a broad range of organic compounds in a single procedure. For this reason, suspect and non-target screening techniques are gaining attention since they enable the detection of hundreds of known and unknown emerging contaminants in various matrices of environmental, food and human sources. Sample preparation is a critical step before analysis as it can significantly affect selectivity, sensitivity and reproducibility.

Application of ozone for degradation of mycotoxins in food: A review.

Mycotoxins such as aflatoxins (AFs), ochratoxin A (OTA) fumonisins (FMN), deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEN), and patulin are stable at regular food process practices. Ozone (O ) is a strong oxidizer and generally considered as a safe antimicrobial agent in food industries. Ozone disrupts fungal cells through oxidizing sulfhydryl and amino acid groups of enzymes or attacks the polyunsaturated fatty acids of the cell wall.

A Comprehensive Review on Food Applications of Terahertz Spectroscopy and Imaging.

Food product safety is a public health concern. Most of the food safety analytical and detection methods are expensive, labor intensive, and time consuming. A safe, rapid, reliable, and nondestructive detection method is needed to assure consumers that food products are safe to consume.

Inhibitory effect of mixture herbs/spices on formation of heterocyclic amines and mutagenic activity of grilled beef.

Natural antioxidants in spices and herbs have attracted considerable attention as potential inhibitors against the formation of mutagenic heterocyclic amines (HCAs) in heat-processed meat. In this study, the inhibitory activity of four spices/herbs and their mixtures on HCAs formation in grilled beef were examined. A simplex centroid mixture design with four components comprising turmeric, curry leaf, torch ginger and lemon grass in 19 different proportions were applied on beef samples before grilling at 240 ºC for 10 min.

Effects of milling on the extraction efficiency of incurred pesticides in cereals.

This study investigated the effects of particle size and milling temperature on the extraction efficiencies of pesticide residues from cereal flour. Samples of cereal grains (barley, oat, rye and wheat) were milled using a centrifugal mill with four different sieves (0.2, 1.

Role of Sample Processing Strategies at the European Union National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) Concerning the Analysis of Pesticide Residues.

The guidance document SANTE 11945/2015 recommends that cereal samples be milled to a particle size preferably smaller than 1.0 mm and that extensive heating of the samples should be avoided. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate the differences in milling procedures, obtained particle size distributions, and the resulting pesticide residue recovery when cereal samples were milled at the European Union National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) with their routine milling procedures.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their Bioaccessibility in Meat: a Tool for Assessing Human Cancer Risk.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are primarily formed as a result of thermal treatment of food, especially barbecuing or grilling. Contamination by PAHs is due to generation by direct pyrolysis of food nutrients and deposition from smoke produced through incomplete combustion of thermal agents. PAHs are ubiquitous compounds, well-known to be carcinogenic, which can reach the food in different ways.

Effect of supercritical fluid extraction on the reduction of toxic elements in fish oil compared with other extraction methods.

High-quality fish oil for human consumption requires low levels of toxic elements. The aim of this study was to compare different oil extraction methods to identify the most efficient method for extracting fish oil of high quality with the least contamination. The methods used in this study were Soxhlet extraction, enzymatic extraction, wet reduction, and supercritical fluid extraction.

Mercury pollution in Malaysia.

Although several studies have been published on levels of mercury contamination of the environment, and of food and human tissues in Peninsular Malaysia, there is a serious dearth of research that has been performed in East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak). Industry is rapidly developing in East Malaysia, and, hence, there is a need for establishing baseline levels of mercury contamination in environmental media in that part of the country by performing monitoring studies. Residues of total mercury and inorganic in food samples have been determined in nearly all previous studies that have been conducted; however, few researchers have analyzed samples for the presence of methlymercury residues.

A contemporary review of seafood allergy.

Seafood is common item in the world diet; Asian countries have the highest rates of fish consumption in the world, which is higher than world average. Several studies have been conducted on the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of seafood allergy in different countries, and some of the fish and seafood allergens unique to those regions have been characterized. Review on published data showed that seafood allergy is very ubiquitous in some regions of the world.