• Project number: F 2470
• Institution: Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA)
• Status: Completed Project

Description:

Mycotoxins are toxic metabolites that are produced by certain moulds. They occur where organic matter is naturally degraded. High and continuous exposure to mycotoxins may be hazardous to health, e.g., causing damage to liver and kidney. In this project, the mycotoxin body burden of compost facility workers exposed to moulds has been investigated with biological monitoring. Mycotoxins, such as deoxynivalenol (DON), and mycotoxin metabolites were determined in the urine samples collected.

The results show that, despite the comprehensive use of protective measures, compost facility workers are exposed to mycotoxins. Occupationally increased DON body burdens were observed for employees working in areas, in which organic waste is being processed.

However, the daily intake, that was estimated based on the DON concentration, was lower than the tolerable daily intake of 1 µg/kg body weight. If the protective measures in TRBA 214 are taken into account, the amount of DON taken in at the regarding workplaces can be considered to be of little concern.

In the general population, the oral intake of contaminated food is the most important route of mycotoxin exposure. Funded by the German Environment Agency (Project No. 153680), DON concentrations were determined in 360 24-h urine samples from the German Environmental Specimen Bank.

The results give information about the background exposure and show the ubiquitous exposure towards DON. In 99 % of the samples, DON was found in concentrations above the limit of quantification. In addition, urinary DON concentrations were significantly higher for male participants.

Information about the background exposure enables the identification of additional occupational DON exposure. However, when biomonitoring results are assessed, sex-related differences have to be taken into consideration.