Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have recently been shown to affect human health at low levels in the blood, according to epidemiological evidence. Consequently, human exposure to these chemicals should be strictly controlled to prevent health risks. This review reports on the potential sources of PFAS using Japan as an example. Tap water has attracted attention as a source of exposure to PFAS. PFAS have also been detected in the air, in household dust, and in consumer products. Furthermore, in the general population, diet is the most common source of exposure, and there is particular concern about human exposure to PFAS accumulated in seafood. Continuous monitoring is important for appropriate management of exposure for both humans and the environment.
Seafood/toxicity* ; Fluorocarbons/toxicity* ; Japan ; Drinking Water/standards* ; Air Pollutants/toxicity* ; Humans ; Dust/analysis* ; Environmental Exposure/standards* ; Food Contamination/analysis* ; Environmental Pollutants/toxicity* ; Water Pollutants, Chemical/toxicity*

Objective: This study aimed to assess the risk of cumulative exposure to Pb, Cd, Hg, and iAs through aquatic products consumed by Chinese people. Methods: Heavy metal concentration data were obtained from the national food contamination monitoring program during 2013-2017. Consumption data were derived from the China National Food Consumption Survey in 2014 and the relative potency factor (RPF) method was used to estimate cumulative exposure for neurotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. Results: The results demonstrated that the cumulative exposure based on neurotoxicity was below the lower confidence limit on benchmark doses of lead (BMDL Conclusion The cumulative exposures of the 2-6 year-old group to the four heavy metals did not reach (but came close to) the corresponding safety threshold for both neurotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. Given that there are still other food sources of these four heavy metals, it is necessary to more closely study their cumulative health effects.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Animals ; Arsenic/analysis* ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Dietary Exposure/analysis* ; Environmental Monitoring ; Food Contamination/analysis* ; Humans ; Metals, Heavy/analysis* ; Middle Aged ; Risk Assessment ; Seafood/analysis* ; Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis* ; Young Adult

Isolating the effects of a single nutrient or food in relation to health outcomes including increased skeletal muscle mass is a challenging task because dietary constituents are highly correlated and synergistic. Hence, diet pattern analysis may be used to investigate the role of certain diets in health outcomes. The present study investigated the dietary patterns and their relationship to skeletal muscle mass in Korean adults. Data were extracted from the 2008–2011 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. To explore the dietary patterns of the study subjects, factor analysis was performed using data obtained from a 24-hour recall. The skeletal muscle index according to dietary pattern scores was then investigated to estimate the changes in skeletal muscle mass. Three patterns were initially identified from the factor analysis. Of these vegetables and fish (VF) pattern was the primary factor with high reliability and was a common factor in sex-separated analyses. The VF pattern scores were positively associated with increased skeletal muscle mass in both men and women. Further analysis according to quartile levels of VF pattern scores showed a positive association between skeletal muscle mass and VF pattern in men but not in women. These results suggest that dietary patterns focused on vegetables and seafoods may contribute to increased skeletal muscle mass in Korean men but that sex difference should be considered in nutrition care for skeletal muscle health.
Adult ; Diet ; Factor Analysis, Statistical ; Female ; Fishes ; Food Habits ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Muscle, Skeletal* ; Seafood ; Sex Characteristics ; Vegetables*

Mercury is a global pollutant. Children are vulnerable to environmental toxicants. Seafood consumption is a major source of methylmercury exposure. In order to ascertain children's mercury exposure levels and study their relationship with seafood consumption, we conducted a cross-sectional study among preschool children in Shanghai. According to our data, the geometric mean of the mercury levels in children's hair was 191.9 (95% CI: 181.8, 202.4) μg/kg. These results indicate that high income may be a predictor of elevated mercury levels in children's hair. Intake of marine fish, especially tuna and pomfret, was documented in our study and found to increase the risk of high mercury levels. Frequency of fish consumption was positively related with hair mercury levels. Our study is the first to provide baseline data for hair mercury concentration among preschool children in Shanghai.
Child, Preschool ; China ; Food Contamination ; Hair ; chemistry ; Humans ; Mercury ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Seafood ; analysis ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Water Pollutants, Chemical ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo assess the net health effect caused by the consumption of specific marine species based on Benefit-Risk Analysis for Foods (BRAFO)-tiered approach.

METHODSTwenty species were collected from the Zhoushan Archipelago, China. Concentrations of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, methyl mercury (MeHg), and dioxin-like compounds (DLCs) in the samples were analyzed for benefit risk assessment based on BRAFO-tiered approach.

RESULTSBased on the BRAFO-tiered approach, reference scenario (no intake) and alternative scenario (intake of specific species of 200 g/week) were determined. The exposure to MeHg/DLCs via alternative scenario of all studied species did not exceed provisional tolerable weekly/monthly intake. However, the adult population with high DLCs exposure in China would significantly exceed the upper limit of DLCs via an additional alternative scenario of some species such as Auxis thazard. The results of deterministic computation showed that alternative scenario of all studied species generated clear net beneficial effects on death prevention and child IQ gain.

CONCLUSIONThe alternative scenario of all studied species could be recommended to population with average DLCs exposure, and the reference scenario of species with relatively high DLCs concentration could be recommended to population exposed to high DLCs.

Animals ; China ; Dioxins ; analysis ; Environmental Pollutants ; analysis ; Fatty Acids, Omega-3 ; analysis ; Fishes ; Humans ; Methylmercury Compounds ; analysis ; Risk Assessment ; Seafood ; analysis ; Species Specificity

OBJECTIVEA novel method of Nano-Immunomagnetic Separation (Nano-IMS) plus Real-time PCR was established for detecting Vibrio cholerae.

METHODSThe Nano-Immunomagnetic Beads were created by using the monoclonal antibody of Vibrio cholerae, which was named Nano-IMB-Vc. Nano-IMB-Vc has specific adsorption of Vibrio cholerae, combined with Real-time PCR technology, a method for rapid detection of Vibrio cholerae was established. The capture specificity of Nano-IMB-Vc was tested by using 15 bacteria strains. The specificity of Real-time PCR method was tested by using 102 targets and 101 non-targets bacteria strains. The sensitivity of Nano-IMS plus Real-time PCR were tested in pure culture and in artificial samples and compared with NMKL No.156.

RESULTSThe capture ratio of Nano-IMB-Vc was reached 70.2% at the level of 10(3) CFU/ml. In pure culture, the sensitivity of Nano-IMS plus Real-time PCR was reached at 5.4×10(2) CFU/ml. The specific of Real-time PCR method was tested by using 102 targets and 101 non-targets bacteria. The results showed that 102 strains of Vibrio cholerae test results were all positive, and the rest of the 101 strains of non-target bacteria test results were negative. No cross-reaction was founded. Add 1 CFU vibrio cholerae per 25 g sample, it could be detect with Nano-IMS plus Real-time PCR method after 8 hours enrichment.

CONCLUSIONSThe Nano-IMS plus Real-time PCR method of Vibrio cholerae established in this study has good specificity and sensitivity, which could be applied to the rapid detection of Vibrio cholerae.

Food Microbiology ; methods ; Immunomagnetic Separation ; methods ; Nanotechnology ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Seafood ; analysis ; microbiology ; Vibrio cholerae ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Vibrio parahaemolyticus ; genetics ; isolation & purification

The purpose of this study was to establish food ingestion factors needed to assess exposure to contaminants through food ingestion. The study reclassified the raw data of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2001 into 12 subcategories including grain products, meat products, fish and shellfish, and vegetables for international comparability of exposure evaluation. The criteria for food intake calculation were unified according to the characteristics of food groups, and recommended values for food ingestion factors were calculated through moisture correction and recategorization of cooked, processed, and mixed foods for each group. The average intake rate for grain and grain products was 6.25 g/kg-d per capita and the men's intake rate was approximately 8% higher than that of the women. The average intake rate of meat and meat products was 1.62 g/kg-d per capita and the men's intake rate was 30% higher than that of the women, on average. The average intake rate of fish and shellfish was 1.53 g/kg-d per capita, and the age groups of 1 to 2 and 3 to 6 recorded higher capita intake rates than other age groups, 2.62 g/kg-d and 2.25 g/kg-d, respectively. The average intake rate of vegetables was 6.47 g/kg-d per capita, with the age group of 1 to 2 recording the highest per capita intake rate of 9.79 g/kg-d and that of 13 to 19 recording the lowest mean. The study also offers recommended values for food ingestion factors of other food groups by gender, age, and region. The food ingestion exposure factors will need future updates in consideration of ongoing changes in food consumption behavior.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; *Eating ; *Environmental Exposure ; Humans ; Meat/analysis/standards ; Nutrition Surveys ; Republic of Korea ; Risk Assessment ; Seafood/analysis/standards ; Vegetables/standards

Mercury exists naturally and as a man-made contaminant. The release of processed mercury can lead to a progressive increase in the amount of atmospheric mercury, which enters the atmospheric-soil-water distribution cycles where it can remain in circulation for years. Mercury poisoning is the result of exposure to mercury or mercury compounds resulting in various toxic effects depend on its chemical form and route of exposure. The major route of human exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) is largely through eating contaminated fish, seafood, and wildlife which have been exposed to mercury through ingestion of contaminated lower organisms. MeHg toxicity is associated with nervous system damage in adults and impaired neurological development in infants and children. Ingested mercury may undergo bioaccumulation leading to progressive increases in body burdens. This review addresses the systemic pathophysiology of individual organ systems associated with mercury poisoning. Mercury has profound cellular, cardiovascular, hematological, pulmonary, renal, immunological, neurological, endocrine, reproductive, and embryonic toxicological effects.
Body Burden ; *Environmental Exposure ; Environmental Pollutants/*toxicity ; Humans ; Methylmercury Compounds/*toxicity ; Nervous System/*drug effects ; Seafood/analysis

This study was performed to evaluate the effect of dietary factors for mercury exposure by comparing with blood mercury concentration. Study population consisted of 1,866 adults (839 men and 1,027 women) in randomly-selected 30 districts in southeast Korea. Dietary mercury intake was calculated from food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) on seafood items and 24 hr recall record. Blood mercury concentration was measured with atomic absorption spectrometry. Mean age of the subjects was 43.5 +/- 14.6 yr. The FFQ showed that mercury-laden fish (tuna, shark) and frequently-eating fish (squid, belt fish, mackerel) were important in mercury intake from fish species. The recall record suggested that fish and shellfish was a highest group (63.1%) of mercury intake and had a wide distribution in the food groups. In comparison with the blood mercury concentration, age group, sex, household income, education, drinking status and coastal area were statistically significant (P < 0.001). In multiple regression analysis, coefficient from the FFQ (beta = 0.003) had greater effect on the blood mercury than the recall record (beta = 0.002), but the effect was restricted (adjusted R2 = 0.234). Further studies with more precise estimation of dietary mercury intake were required to evaluate the risk for mercury exposure by foods and assure risk communication with heavily-exposed group.
Adult ; Age Factors ; Alcohol Drinking ; Demography ; Environmental Exposure ; Female ; *Food Habits ; Humans ; Male ; Mercury/*blood ; Middle Aged ; Questionnaires ; Regression Analysis ; Seafood/*analysis ; Sex Factors

OBJECTIVETo develop a rapid hilic ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC)-mass spectrum (MS)/MS method for determination of tetrodotoxin in seafood.

METHODSThe sample of muscle and liver of puffer fish and nassarius were extracted with aqueous solution containing 0.2% (V/V) acetic acid (the extract of liver must be purified through HLB cartridge), and then cleanup of extract was accomplished by solid-phase extraction with a graphitized carbon black cartridge. The analysis of tetrodotoxin was carried out on a chromatographic column (Acquity UPLC BEH Amide, 100 mm×2.1 mm×1.7 µm) with gradient elution of 95% (V/V) acetonitrile-H2O both containing 0.1% (V/V) formic acid and 2.0 mmol/L ammonium formate, and detected by positive electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry in the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode, and quantified by matrix-match standard solution.

RESULTSThe calibration curves were linear in the range of 30 - 10 000, 50 - 10 000 and 30 - 10 000 µg/kg of tetradotoxin in muscle and liver of puffer fish and in muscle of nassarius, respectively. The correlation coefficients were within 0.9963 - 0.9990. The limits of detection were 10, 20 and 10 µg/kg, and that of quantitation were 30, 50 and 30 µg/kg for muscle and liver of puffer fish and muscle of nassarius, respectively. The average recoveries were 81.5% - 93.1%, 82.3% - 106.0% and 83.5% - 95.2% for tetrodotoxin spiked in muscle and liver of puffer fish and in muscle of nassarius, respectively, with relative standard deviation (RSD) of 2.3% - 11%, 4.3% - 14.0% and 3.5% - 13.0% (n = 6).

CONCLUSIONThe method was simple, accurate and sensitive, and could be successfully applied to the measurement of tetrodotoxin in puffer fish and nassarius.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Mass Spectrometry ; Seafood ; analysis ; Solid Phase Extraction ; Tetrodotoxin ; analysis