Human dietary exposure to chemicals in sub-Saharan Africa: safety assessment through a total diet study

Abstract

Background Human dietary exposure to chemicals can result in a wide range of adverse health effects. Some substances might cause non-communicable diseases, including cancer and coronary heart diseases, and could be nephrotoxic. Food is the main human exposure route for many chemicals. We aimed to assess human dietary exposure to a wide range of food chemicals. MethodsWe did a total diet study in Benin, Cameroon, Mali, and Nigeria. We assessed 4020 representative samples of foods, prepared as consumed, which covered more than 90% of the diet of 7291 households from eight study centres. By combining representative dietary surveys of countries with findings for concentrations of 872 chemicals in foods, we characterised human dietary exposure. FindingsExposure to lead could result in increases in adult blood pressure up to 2•0 mm Hg, whereas children might lose 8•8-13•3 IQ points (95th percentile in Kano, Nigeria). Morbidity factors caused by coexposure to aflatoxin B1 and hepatitis B virus, and sterigmatocystin and fumonisins, suggest several thousands of additional liver cancer cases per year, and a substantial contribution to the burden of chronic malnutrition in childhood. Exposure to 13 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from consumption of smoked fish and edible oils exceeded levels associated with possible carcinogenicity and genotoxicity health concerns in all study centres. Exposure to aluminium, ochratoxin A, and citrinin indicated a public health concern about nephropathies. From 470 pesticides tested across the four countries, only high concentrations of chlorpyrifos in smoked fish (unauthorised practice identified in Mali) could pose a human health risk. Interpretation Risks characterised by this total diet study underscore specific priorities in terms of food safety management in sub-Saharan Africa. Similar investigations specifically targeting children are crucially needed. Funding Standards and Trade Development Facility.

Estimating the risk of aflatoxin-induced liver cancer in Tanzania based on biomarker data

“…We also estimated that the population risk in the studied regions varied from 1.37 (in Iringa), through 2.34 (in Kilimanjaro) to 6.79 (in Tabora). The risks estimated for Iringa, Kilimanjaro, Tabora and Tanzania are similar to risks recently reported for Borgou (7.4) in Benin or Kano (1.4) in Nigeria or Bamako (2.0) in Mali [27]. All these countries have tropical climates which provide favorable conditions for mycotoxin contamination in foods (maize and groundnuts, in particular).…”

Caffeic acid mitigates aflatoxinB1‐mediated toxicity in the male rat reproductive system by modulating inflammatory and apoptotic responses, testicular function, and the redox‐regulatory systems

“…Globally, there is a growing concern about food crop contamination by AFB 1 during harvesting and processing (Ingenbleek et al, 2020; Kortei et al, 2021; Zitomer et al, 2021). This burden is significantly higher in Sub‐Saharan Africa and South‐East Asia due to the poor standard of food harvesting, processing, and storage (Jayaratne et al, 2020; Tsafack Takadong et al, 2020).…”

First insights into the occurrence of pesticide residues in edible insects from sub-Saharan African countries

“…As of 2020, chlorpyrifos was banned in the EU [22] , and in 2021 the US EPA announced a ban on the use of chlorpyrifos on food crops in the US [23] . Unauthorised application of chlorpyrifos in certain SSA countries has, however, been identified and highlighted as potentially posing a threat to human health [24] .…”