Toxic metal species and food regulations--making a healthy choice

As a safeguard for human health, guidelines and regulations stipulating maximum permissible concentrations (MPCs) of metals in foods have been set to limit our dietary exposure to toxic metals. It is now well accepted, however, that the chemical form of the metal must be considered when assessing the possible human health consequences of exposure, and this in turn has led to discussion on the incorporation of speciation data in the setting of MPCs for metals in foods. Some practical aspects and implications of framing food legislation in terms of metal species are presented.     

食品中重金属元素检测方法研究进展

食品安全问题是直接关系到人民健康的重大民生问题。简要阐述了食品中重金属对人体的影响与危害,全面分析了重金属元素对食品的污染,从不同种类的食品,包括农作物(粮食、蔬菜、水果、食用菌、茶叶)、水产品、畜禽产品、食用油、食用酒精等方面,综述了近年来食品中重金属检测方法研究的进展。随着检测技术的不断发展进步,快速、灵敏、无损的多元素在线检测的方法必将在食品中重金属元素的测定方面得到广泛的应用。     

Food Analysis on Electrophoretic Microchips

One of the current trends of separation techniques in analytical chemistry is miniaturization. The aim of miniaturization is to attain better performance, shorter analysis time, and reduced reagent consumption. Capillary Electrophoresis (CE) microchips, the first generation of micro-total analysis systems, are the most used microsystems in food analysis. The scope of this review is to gather and discuss the different applications of such miniaturized devices in this field. Various analytes of food significance such as natural antioxidants, amino acids, proteins, dyes, vanilla flavors, DNA probes, heavy metals, toxins, allergens etc. have been successfully monitored using CE-microchips, either to assess food quality or to ensure food safety. Also, to deal with the high complexity of food matrices, the integration of sample preparation steps onto the chip and the use of new tools from nanotechnology for the detection step have been reported.     

Synchrotron radiation total reflection X-ray fluorescence (SR-TXRF) for evaluation of food contamination

Summary The objective of this study was to use synchrotron radiation total reflection X-ray fluorescence analysis (SR-TXRF) for the determination of metals and other elements in food available to the population in commercial establishments, in order to evaluate the risks of contamination by these products. The analyzed species were vegetables, leafy vegetables, fruits, cereal and grain. The results indicated that some species were contaminated by Cr, Cu, Zn and Pb with concentrations much higher than the reference values.     

微塑料介导重金属在陆生植物中迁移及生物效应的影响

随着地膜在现代化农业中的广泛应用,微塑料在土壤中的残留问题日益严重。环境中释放的微塑料可能会与先前存在的重金属相互作用,导致生物效应(生物积累/毒性),并对人类健康和农产品安全构成威胁。目前,大多数研究集中于单一影响因素在土壤系统中的暴露和转化分析,有关微塑料和共存金属对环境联合影响的相当有限。本文综述了微塑料与重金属来源、相互作用机理与影响因素的研究现状,阐述了陆生植物对二者联合污染的生理响应。此外,未来的研究还应重点探讨微塑料与重金属共同在植物上暴露的具体分子机制、通过食物链对人类健康的影响、与其他混合污染物联合作用及微塑料老化过程对重金属迁移动态变化过程的影响。     

长寿之乡--江苏如皋微量元素环境调查

考察了如皋长寿老人居住环境、饮食和生活习惯,检测了当地土壤、粮食、蔬菜及人发样品中14种元素。结果表明,如皋生态环境好、长寿老人主食粗细搭配、副食清淡、蔬菜为主、少量荤食的饮食习惯使他们保持了人体内必需的常量、微量元素的平衡。头发中锌和硒含量较高是如皋老人长寿的特点。     

Determination of Cadmium,Copper, Lead,and Zinc in Pilchard Sardines from the Bay of Boumerdés by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

Fish are an important human food with increasing consumption in recent decades. Diet is the main route of exposure to heavy metals for human health. For this reason, many studies have been performed on the pollution by heavy metals in different species of fish. Our main objective was to evaluate the pollution by trace metals (Zn, Cu, Pb, and Cd) in sardine muscles collected from the bay of Boumerdés (Algeria). Flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) was used for the quantification of Cu and Zn. The quantification of Cd and Pb was achieved by graphite furnace (GF) AAS. The analysis revealed the presence of metal trace elements in the muscles of species at concentrations below the thresholds established by national and international regulations.     

Contamination by human fingers: The Midas touch

Anthropogenic activity is one of the causes of contamination in the human environment: contamination of air, water, top soils, plants and food products has complex effects on human health problems. Wear and abrasion of various surfaces are constant processes in daily life, and commonly include interaction between human fingers and surfaces of every conceivable material. New methods for investigation of trace transfer processes by human fingers are described. Results of transfer for commonly used metals such as gold, silver, zinc, cadmium, tin, cobalt, nickel, chromium and iron are presented. Relationship between transfer of metals by touch and the general problem of purity in analytical activities is briefly discussed.     

Determination of 137Cs, 90Sr, 40K radionuclides in food grain and commercial food grain products

Following up transfer of strontium from soil to plants requires determination of isotope in the surface layer of soil and a chosen plant. The most endangered food products are plants including commonly grown grain, which constitutes a basic feeding component for both people and animals. Indeed large amounts of ¹³⁷Cs, ⁹⁰Sr get into organisms of people and animals with the food, therefore determination of radioactivity of elements in food products and animal fodder is very essential. Choice of proper diet allows to limit the level of human organism denaturation. The aim of this paper was to study relocation of ⁹⁰Sr, ¹³⁷Cs, ⁴⁰K isotopes from soil to grain and then from grain to food products. There were investigated soil, wheat, barley, groats, flour, macaroni and breakfast flakes. Based on the obtained results there were calculated effective weighted doses [nSv] from consumption of 1 kg of a product for different age groups.     

The Occurrence and Contamination Level of Ochratoxin A in Plant and Animal-Derived Food Commodities

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a highly toxic mycotoxin and poses great threat to human health. Due to its serious toxicity and widespread contamination, great efforts have been made to evaluate its human exposure. This review focuses on the OTA occurrence and contamination level in nine plant and animal derived food commodities: cereal, wine, coffee, beer, cocoa, dried fruit, spice, meat, and milk. The occurrence and contamination level varied greatly in food commodities and were affected by many factors, including spices, geography, climate, and storage conditions. Therefore, risk monitoring must be routinely implemented to ensure minimal OTA intake and food safety.     

Multiscale effects in crystal grain growth and physical properties of metals

A multiscale approach for the simulation of physical properties of metals is suggested and discussed. Grain growth in metals involves interactions at three distinct scale levels: the atomic scale (length of crystal lattice spacing), microscale (grain length) and macroscale. A simulation scheme should include these three levels. The crystalline microstructure is simulated by the Monte Carlo method. The average grain radius is then used to determine the yield strength from the Hall-Petch relationship for large grains and the inverse Hall-Petch relationship for submicron-sized grains. The yield strength is then supplied to a continuum macroscale model. The normal grain growth, which has a theoretical solution for grain size as a function of time, is discussed in detail as a case study and conclusions are drawn with regard to more complex situations such as dynamic recrystallization.     

A critical review of hazardous waste generation from textile industries and associated ecological impacts

Among many industries, the textile industry is the oldest industry of human civilization. Cloth is the second most important human need after food. Textile processing includes several steps in which wet processing is the most important. As wet processing involves an extensive amount of water and chemicals, an enormous volume of textile effluent generates during wet processing. Textile effluents is disposed of on bare land or on water bodies, which causes soil and water contamination. Improper disposal of textile effluents causes severe soil and water contamination. Textile effluents contain dyes, heavy metals, inorganic salts, surfactants, organic contaminants, oil, and grease. Textile effluents cause contamination in water bodies. The colour present in effluents hinders the photosynthesis of aquatic plants. Inorganic salts cause the degradation of water quality and soil excellence. Heavy metals enter the food chain and cause severe health impacts on human life. Various physical, chemical, bailogical and hybrid methods are used to treat textile effluents. Textile processing has been explained in brief in this study. The current research deals with different textile processing steps, various pollutants generated in textile processing and their ecotoxicity, various ecological crises associated with textile processing, and numerous treatment methods for the remediation of textile effluents.     

石灰性土壤小麦缺锌矫正及锌营养品质改善的途径

石灰性土壤中锌的缺乏常常导致所栽培的主要作物——小麦锌缺乏的发生,从而严重影响小麦产量和籽粒的锌营养品质,并最终威胁到人体健康。从石灰性土壤中锌缺乏的原因入手,着重从外源供锌和筛选耐缺锌的小麦基因型(锌高效基因型小麦)两个方面论述了解决石灰性土壤上栽培小麦锌缺乏问题的途径,并认为后者是更好的选择。     

重金属有效态与土壤环境质量标准制订

制订合适的土壤环境质量标准是评价土壤健康质量及食品安全的核心问题,而土壤重金属有效态对制定土壤环境质量标准具有重要意义。土壤重金属有效态主要指植物有效态,它与重金属形态关系密切。影响土壤重金属有效态的因素很多,主要包括:土壤pH值、氧化还原电位、CEC、有机质含量、粒径组成(黏粒含量)、铁铝锰氧化物含量、植物种类、土壤微生物、土壤温度的高低、重金属来源等。化学试剂浸提法是测量重金属生物有效性的常用方法,所用化学试剂主要有三类:弱(稀)酸、络合剂和中性盐,中性盐由于对土壤pH值影响小而受到重视。我国现行土壤质量标准采用土壤重金属总量和pH两个因素为依据,但是不少学者认为,该标准仅适用于重金属有效态较高的土壤,而不能反映重金属有效态含量较低土壤的实际状况。     

A review of silver nanoparticles in food packaging technologies: Regulation,methods, properties,migration, and future challenges

The development of antimicrobial food packaging is needed for food preservation and quality maintenance. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been widely used as an antimicrobial agent in food packaging technologies. However, the risks associated with their potential migration into foods are a major concern. This paper comprehensively reviews the use of AgNPs in food packaging technologies. The application of AgNPs in food packaging technologies has been regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration and the European Food Safety Authority. The addition of AgNPs into food packaging can improve their barrier, mechanical, and antibacterial properties, as well as maintain the quality of foods. Migration of AgNPs from food packaging into foods is still a concern as it has implications for human health associated with their toxicity properties. A study on the toxicological properties of AgNPs released from food packaging needs to be carried out intensively to ensure their safety before being widely implemented. Moreover, comprehensive economic evaluation to implement AgNPs in food packaging is needed as such a study is missing in the literature.     

Up-to-date status of food irradiation

The last decade has witnessed significant advancement of the acceptance of food irradiation processing. At present 37 countries have approved one or more food items for human consumption and 25 countries have commercialized this process. More developing countries are showing keen interest to introduce irradiation processing in order to reduce post-harvest food losses, to increase export potentials and to ensure safety of food to their people. Although progress towards acceptance of food irradiation by the industry is slow, actual market trials have shown that once consumers have understood this technology, they are willing to buy irradiated foods.This paper deals with the latest developments in the field of food irradiation with particular reference to legislation, consumer acceptance, commercialization and potential application in developing countries. This paper also deals with the role played by the International Organizations, aimed at facilitating the acceptance of food irradiation.     

Hyphenated HPLC/ICP-MS and HPLC/ICP-OES techniques for the characterization of metal and non-metal species

Ion-pair and ion-exchange chromatography were used for the separation of model substances like metal-EDTA and metal-peptide complexes. Real samples like food extracts and human serum were separated by size-exclusion chromatography. The HLPC/ICP coupling was simply realized by connecting the column outlet of the chromatographic system with the nebulizer of the element specific detection systems ICP-OES and ICP-MS, respectively. In food extracts a correlation was found between zinc and sulfur as well as between copper and phosphorus; all measured metals were exclusively present in the 10–14 kD range. Copper in the 68 kD region was found to be correlated with sulfur in serum.Dedicated to Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Fresenius on the occasion on his 80th birthday     

Identification of disclinations in the structure of strongly deformed materials

The deformation of metallic materials up to large strains leads to the formation of fine grain structures (down to the nanometric scale) with high densities of grain boundaries and grain boundary junctions. Such structures demonstrate significant lattice rotations and the presence of disclination defects at grain boundary junctions. We present the results of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations of disclinations in strongly deformed metals and describe the theoretical approaches for their identification.     

Matrix-Effekt und Korngrößenverteilung bei der Röntgenfluorescenzanalyse von Feststoffen der Gewässer

The intensity of the fluorescence of heavy metal traces, such as zinc, in waters can be described as a function of grain size distribution. Contrary to that of pure metals, it increases with grain size. For a parameter, the sample component in the grain diameter range below 6 μm is suited best. In the sediments of waste polluted waters, the same parameter is frequently found in close correlation to the zinc content of the samples. The analytical and practical consequences are discussed in the present paper.     

Determination of copper and nickel in vegetable oils by direct sampling graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

The quality of food products has been receiving great attention due to its influence on human nutrition and health. In this sense, the determination of trace metals in foods has turned an important field on food analysis. Concerning vegetable oils, its metal trace composition is an important criterion for the assessment of their quality once it is known that trace metals affect their rate of oxidation, influencing freshness, keeping properties as well as storage. In the present work an analytical method which enables the direct determination of Cu and Ni in vegetable oils by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS), using a “solid” sample strategy is presented: in nature, samples are directly weighed on the graphite platform boat and inserted in the graphite tube. An adequate temperature program permitted the calibration by external aqueous analytical curves. Good concordance between the proposed procedure and EPA procedures was found in the analysis of real samples. Limits of detection of 0.001 and 0.002 μg g⁻¹ were found for Cu and Ni, respectively, in the original samples, and they were comfortably below the concentrations found.