Pesticide Residues in Bananas from the Canary Islands.

There are a large number of pests which are detrimental to plant production, specifically to banana cultivation, and the use of pesticides is the main method of control of these pests. Therefore, the number of active substances in pesticides has been steadily increasing since before the Second World War. There is growing consumer concern about the health effects of pesticide residues and there is certainly evidence of a link between pesticide exposure and the prevalence of chronic diseases. Therefore, it is of particular interest to study the presence of pesticide residues in bananas and their toxicological, agricultural and legal implications. In this study, the content of pesticide residues in bananas produced in the Canary Islands during a ten-year period from 2008 to 2017 was determined. A total of 733 samples of bananas were analysed during the study period, in which 191 different active substances were investigated, involving 103,641 assessments. The samples analysed were selected in such a way that they are representative of the banana sector in the Canary Islands as a whole, taking into account geographical and climatic factors, cultivation methods and the processing of bananas in packaging, which are the differentiating factors in the use of pesticides. The reference parameter for the residue investigation is the MRL (maximum residue limit).

Whey Protein Dietary Supplements: Metal Exposure Assessment and Risk Characterization.

Protein supplements (PS) are trendy foods, especially those made from whey. In addition to providing protein, these products are a source of metals, providing essential elements (Na, K, Mg, Ca, Mo, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, and Zn) and other potentially toxic elements (Al, B, Sr, V Ba, and Ni). In this study, 47 whey PS samples were analyzed for mineral elements by ICP-OES, and their dietary exposures were assessed for three consumption scenarios. Elements found in higher concentrations were K (4689.10 mg/kg) and Ca (3811.27 mg/kg). The intake of 30 g PS (average recommended amount/day) provides about 20% of the established reference value (NRI) for Cr (18.30% for men and 25.63% for women) and Mo (26.99%). In a high daily consumption scenario (100 g PS/day) and when the maximum concentrations are considered, Cr, Zn, Fe, Mo, and Mg dietary intakes of these metals exceed the daily recommended intakes and could pose a risk. The daily intake of 30, 60, and 100 g of whey PS for 25 years does not pose a health risk since the hazard index (HI) is less than one in these consumption scenarios, and the essential elements contributing most to HI are Co, followed by Mo and Cr. It is recommended to improve the information to the consumers of these new products. Furthermore, to help in the management and prevention of these potential health risks, it would be advisable to improve the regulation of these dietary supplements and their labeling.

Fluoride Levels in Supply Water from the Canary Islands Region.

The Canary Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean, are an archipelago of volcanic origin which, for decades, has been affected by natural fluoride contamination in the water supply of some of its islands, mainly the island of Tenerife. In addition, recent volcanic eruptions in the archipelago and the increased demand for water supply have led to an increase in the fluoride content in other areas which, historically, were not affected. Fluoride content was determined in 274 water supply samples from the most populated islands of the Canary Islands (Tenerife and Gran Canaria) collected during the months of June 2021 to May 2022. The samples were analysed by fluoride ion selective potentiometry. The highest concentrations in Tenerife were found in the municipalities of Sauzal (7.00 mg/L) and Tegueste (5.39 mg/L), both water samples are over the parametric value of 1.5 mg/L set in the supply water legislation. In the Gran Canaria Island, the highest fluoride levels were found in Valsequillo and Mogán with 1.44 mg/L in both locations, but under the parametric fluoride value abovementioned. Consumption of just 1 L of water per day in the El Sauzal area would result in a contribution rate of 77% for adults and children over 15 years of age (Upper Level value of 7 mg/day) and 108% for children 9-14 years of age (UL value of 5 mg/day). The contribution rates increase considerably, reaching or exceeding 100% of the reference value (UL) with increasing consumption of 1 to 2 L of water per day. Therefore, it is considered that there is a health risk of overexposure to fluoride on the island of Tenerife. In the case of the island of Gran Canaria, it has been shown that even the consumption of 2 litres of water per day does not confer contribution rates that pose a health risk.

Toxic Metals (Al, Cd, and Pb) in Instant Soups: An Assessment of Dietary Intake.

Instant soups and noodles are one of the most widely consumed commercial food products. These products are made from ingredients of animal (chicken, meat) and/or vegetable origin, in addition to various food additives that prolong the shelf life of the product. It should be noted that instant soups are a dehydrated product, whose water-removal process can increase the accumulation of contaminants, such as toxic metals (Al, Cd, or Pb), that are harmful to the health of consumers. The content of toxic metals (Al, Cd, and Pb) in a total of 130 samples of instant soups of different types (poultry, meat, and vegetables) was determined by ICP-OES (inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry). The Al content (32.28 ± 19.26), the Cd content (0.027 ± 0.016), and the Pb content (0.12 ± 0.13) in the vegetable soups were worth mentioning. Considering an intake of twenty grams (recommended by the manufacturer), the dietary intake of Al (19.56% of the TWI set at 1 mg/kg bw/week), the intake of Cd (6.59% of the TWI set at 2.5 µg/kg bw/week), and the Pb intake (16.18% of the BMDL set for nephrotoxic effects at 0.63 µg/kg bw/week and 6.84% of the BMDL set for cardiovascular effects at 1.50 µg/kg bw/week) in the population aged 3-10 years, instant soups are not recommended for the population aged 3-10 years, while their consumption does not pose a health risk for adults. However, it is necessary to consider the cooking water used in the preparation of these products, as it may increase exposure to these toxic metals, in addition to the rest of the diet.

Microplastics as Emerging Food Contaminants: A Challenge for Food Safety.

Microplastics (MPs) have been identified as emerging environmental pollutants classified as primary or secondary based on their source. Composition, shape, size, and colour, among other characteristics, are associated with their capacity to access the food chain and their risks. While the environmental impact of MPs has received much attention, the risks for humans derived from their dietary exposure have not been yet assessed. Several institutions and researchers support that the current knowledge does not supply solid data to complete a solid risk characterization of dietary MPs. The aim of this paper is to review the current knowledge about MPs in foods and to discuss the challenges and gaps for a risk analysis. The presence of MPs in food and beverages has been worldwide observed, but most authors considered the current data to be not only insufficient but of questionable quality mainly because of the outstanding lack of consensus about a standardized quantifying method and a unified nomenclature. Drinking water, crustaceans/molluscs, fish, and salt have been identified as relevant dietary sources of MPs for humans by most published studies. The hazard characterization presents several gaps concerning the knowledge of the toxicokinetic, toxicodynamic, and toxicity of MPs in humans that impede the estimation of food safety standards based on risk. This review provides a tentative exposure assessment based on the levels of MPs published for drinking water, crustaceans and molluscs, fish, and salt and using the mean European dietary consumption estimates. The intake of 2 L/day of water, 70.68 g/day of crustaceans/molluscs, 70.68 g/day of fish, and 9.4 g/day of salt would generate a maximum exposure to 33,626, 212.04, 409.94 and 6.40 particles of MPs/day, respectively. The inexistence of reference values to evaluate the MPs dietary intake prevents the dietary MPs risk characterization and therefore the management of this risk. Scientists and Food Safety Authorities face several challenges but also opportunities associated to the occurrence of MPs in foods. More research on the MPs characterization and exposure is needed bearing in mind that any future risk assessment report should involve a total diet perspective.

Fluoride Exposure from Ready-To-Drink Coffee Consumption.

Fluoride is present in various foods ingested daily. It has been demonstrated that the intake of high concentrations of fluoride, both in adults and children, can cause pathologies, among which dental fluorosis, osteoporosis and damage to the central nervous system stand out. The objective of this study was to determine the fluoride concentrations in 60 samples of ready-to-drink cold brewed coffee of different brands and types (expresso, cappuccino, macchiato and decaffeinated) by the fluoride ion-selective potentiometric method. A statistical analysis was also performed to discern the existence of differences between these categories. The highest fluoride concentration (1.465 mg/L) was found in espresso coffee followed by Macchiato (1.254 mg/L). Decaffeinated coffee is the one that presented the lowest fluoride concentration with 0.845 mg/L. The risk assessment was conducted considering different consumption scenarios (250, 500 and 750 mL/day). The UL (upper level) established by the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) at 7 mg/day was used. The consumption of three servings poses no health risk; however, it confers a significant value of fluoride contribution to the diet.

[Metal content and trace elements in groundwater supply of the island of El Hierro (Canary Islands, Spain).] / Contenido de metales y elementos traza en aguas subterráneas de abastecimiento de la isla de El Hierro (islas Canarias, España).

OBJECTIVE: Volcanic eruptions are a natural source of substances potentially dangerous to human health. The island of El Hierro (Canary Islands, Spain) suffered a marine volcanic eruption in 2012, making it necessary to monitor the levels of certain elements that can alter the quality of groundwater supply. The objective of this work was to determine the content of metals and trace elements in the groundwater supply of the Isla del Hierro and to check if they met the quality parameters established in Spanish legislation. METHODS: The content of metals and trace elements (aluminum, lead, cadmium, calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium, boron, barium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, lithium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, strontium, vanadium, zinc, fluorine) in a total of 60 samples of groundwater supply and agriculture from six different sampling points on the island. The determination was carried out by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrophotometry (ICP-OES) and by fluoride ion selective potentiometry. The data were statistically analyzed applying the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Levene's statistic, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U, ANOVA and Tukey's test. Significant differences were those that met p<0.05. RESULTS: The highest mean concentration of lead was recorded in the Tigaday samples (0.003±0.0005 mg/L), finding statistically significant differences (p<0.05) in the lead levels between the sampling points. The elements analyzed were below the parametric values set in Royal Decree 140/2003. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained reflect that, in all the samples analyzed, the quality parameters established in the Spanish legislation (RD 140/2003) are met, being, therefore, waters suitable for human consumption.

OBJETIVO: Las erupciones volcánicas son una fuente natural de sustancias potencialmente peligrosas para la salud humana. La isla de El Hierro (Islas Canarias, España) sufrió una erupción volcánica marina en el año 2012, siendo necesaria la monitorización de los niveles de ciertos elementos que pueden alterar la calidad de las aguas subterráneas de abastecimiento. El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar el contenido de metales y elementos traza de las aguas subterráneas de abastecimiento de la Isla del Hierro y comprobar si cumplían los parámetros de calidad establecidos en la legislación española. METODOS: Se determinó el contenido de metales y elementos traza (aluminio, plomo, cadmio, calcio, potasio, sodio, magnesio, boro, bario, cobalto, cromo, cobre, hierro, litio, manganeso, molibdeno, níquel, estroncio, vanadio, zinc, flúor) en un total de 60 muestras de agua subterránea de abastecimiento y de agricultura procedentes de seis puntos diferentes de muestreo de la isla. La determinación fue llevada a cabo mediante espectrofotometría de emisión óptica de plasma acoplado inductivamente (ICP-OES) y mediante potenciometría de ion selectivo de fluoruro. Los datos fueron analizados estadísticamente aplicando los tests de Kolmogorov-Smirnov, estadístico de Levene, Kruskal-Wallis, U de Mann-Whitney, ANOVA y test de Tukey. Se consideraron diferencias significativas aquellas que cumplían p<0,05. RESULTADOS: La mayor concentración media de plomo se registró en las muestras de Tigaday (0,003±0,0005 mg/L), encontrándose diferencias estadísticamente significativas (p<0,05) en los niveles de plomo entre los puntos de muestreo. Los elementos analizados se encontraban por debajo de los valores paramétricos fijados en el Real Decreto 140/2003. CONCLUSIONES: Los resultados obtenidos reflejan que, en todas las muestras analizadas, los parámetros de calidad establecidos en la legislación española (RD 140/2003) se cumplen, siendo, por lo tanto, aguas aptas para el consumo humano.