Concentration and Prevalence of Aflatoxin M1 in Human Breast Milk in Iran: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Carcinogenic Risk Assessment: A Review.

This meta-analysis was designed to review the published reports regarding the concentration and/or prevalence of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in human breast milk in Iran. The carcinogenic risk for Iranian infants consuming this milk was estimated with the hazard index. The PubMed and Scopus databases and the Scientific Information Database were screened for relevant studies between 1995 and 2017, and 11 of the 112 collected studies were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. The mean (95% confidence interval) concentration of AFM1 was 5.85 ng/L (4.54 to 7.15 ng/L), which was lower than the European Union standard (25 ng/L). The mean prevalence of AFM1 in breast milk in Iran was 42% (11 to 77%). The estimated daily intakes for male and female infants were 0.02 to 5.57 ng/kg and 0.02 to 3.68 ng/kg of body weight per day, respectively. The rank order of estimated daily intake for both male and female infants according to age was 1 week > 1 month > 6 months > 12 months. The hazard index for all age groups of infants in all provinces in Iran was less than 1. Therefore, infants in Iran were not considered at carcinogenic risk from AFM1 in human breast milk.

Contamination and Prevalence of Histamine in Canned Tuna from Iran: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Health Risk Assessment.

Histamine is one of the most important health issues associated with consumption of canned tuna because of possible allergic and anaphylactic reactions in consumers. Although the concentrations of histamine in tuna in Iran have been investigated in several studies, definitive conclusions are elusive. This study was undertaken as a systematic review and meta-analysis of the concentration and prevalence of histamine in Iranian canned tuna, and the related health risk was assessed. An extensive search of articles in the databases Scopus, PubMed, and Scientific Information Database resulted in 11 articles and a total of 693 samples for inclusion in this review. The minimum and maximum concentrations of histamine were determined as 8.59 ± 14.24 and 160.52 ± 87.59 mg kg−1, respectively. The mean concentration was calculated as 77.86 mg kg−1 (95% confidence interval [CI], 47.51 to 108.21 mg kg−1), which was lower than the 200 mg kg−1 recommended limit by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The mean prevalence of histamine was 9.19% (95%; CI, 6.88 to 11.5%). The 95% value of the target hazard quotient for adult consumers was calculated as 0.10. In all studies performed in Iran, the concentration of histamine in canned tuna was lower than FDA standard. Health risk assessment indicated low histamine risk (target hazard quotient < 1) for adults in Iran from consumption of canned tuna.

Probabilistic risk assessment (Monte Carlo simulation method) of Pb and Cd in the onion bulb (Allium cepa) and soil of Iran.

Recently, the exposure to heavy metals through the consumption of vegetables has become a global concern. In this regard, the current study was aimed to measure the concentrations of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) in the collected onion bulb samples as well as the surrounded soil using a flame atomic absorption spectrometer (FAAS). Additionally, the target hazard quotient (THQ) for males and females in all age groups of consumers were estimated by using Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) method. Furthermore, the soil threshold values (STVs) were evaluated to investigate the heavy metal contents in the soil based on the established standard limits. In this context, 45 onion bulbs (HashtBandi region, 25 and Ravang region, 20) and 41 soil (HashtBandi region, 21 and Ravang region, 20) samples were collected (March-May of 2016). The average concentrations of Pb in the onions from HashtBandi and Ravang regions were determined as 0.0052 ± 0.0011 and 0.0061 ± 0.0022 mg/kg, and for Cd were 0.0095 ± 0.0024 and 0.0011 ± 0.0035 mg/kg, respectively. The average concentration of Pb in the soil from HashtBandi and Ravang regions were measured as 3.99 ± 3.77 and 2.03 ± 0.69 mg/kg, and for Cd, the corresponding values were determined as 2.21 ± 3.17 and 2.22 ± 0.92 mg/kg, respectively. The average concentration of Pb and Cd in both investigated onion bulb and soil were lower than Iranian national (onion bulb: Pb = 0.1 mg/kg, Cd = 0.05 mg/kg) and FAO/WHO (onion bulb: Pb = 0.3 mg/kg, Cd = 0.1 mg/kg; soil: Pb = 50 mg/kg, Cd = 0.3 mg/kg) standard limits. Moreover, the THQ and total target hazard quotient (TTHQ) for males and females in all age groups were less than 1 value. Therefore, no risk of the exposure to Pb and Cd as result of onion bulb consumption was reported. STVs for Pb and Cd in the HashtBandi region were calculated as 3.99 and 2.21 mg/kg, and Ravang as 2.03 and 2.22 mg/kg, respectively. Due to the higher calculated STVs for Cd while compared with the established standard limit for the soil, the further revisions regarding the heavy metal standard limits in the soil were recommended.

The Concentration of BTEX in the Air of Tehran: A Systematic Review-Meta Analysis and Risk Assessment.

In the current study, the concentration of some pollutants which are categorized as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including benzene (B), toluene (T), ethylbenzene (E), and o-xylenes (o-X), in the air of Tehran was evaluated by the aid of a systematic review and meta-analysis approach. Also, the health risk for the exposed population was estimated using the recommended methods by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The rank order based on their concentration in BTEX was benzene (149.18 µg/m³: 31%) > o-xylene (127.16 µg/m³: 27%) > ethylbenzene (110.15 µg/m³: 23%) > toluene (87.97 µg/m³: 19%). The ratio B/T in this study was calculated as 1.69, repressing that both stationary and mobile sources of emission can be considered as the main sources for benzene and toluene. Moreover, strong photochemical activity in Tehran was demonstrated by the high ratio of E/o-X. Meta-regression indicates that the concentration of BTEX has insignificantly (p-value > 0.05) increased over time. The BTEX compounds based on the target hazard quotient (THQ) were ordered as benzene > o-xylene > ethylbenzene > toluene. Percentile 95% of THQ due to benzene (4.973) and o-xylene (1.272) was higher than a value of 1. Percentile 95% excessive cancer risk (ECR) for benzene (1.25 × 106) and ethylbenzene (1.11 × 106) was higher than a value of 1.00 × 106. The health risk assessment indicated that the population of Tehran are at considerable non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of metal concentrations in canned tuna fish in Iran and human health risk assessment.

Human consumption of fish protein, including canned tuna fish, is increasing steadily worldwide. However, there are some concerns about the potential exposure to elevated concentrations of metals in canned tuna fish. Several studies have been conducted in Iran regarding the concentration of metals in seafood, including copper (Cu), selenium (Se), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), nickel (Ni), tin (Sn), and cadmium (Cd) in canned tuna fish. The main aim of this study was to gather data from existing papers and to perform a meta-analysis of the pooled concentrations of metals to evaluate their non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks in children and adults consumers. Search was conducted retrieving data from the international biomedical databases with highly public access and consultation, e.g., Web of Science, PubMed, Science Direct, and Scopus, and national database (SID and Irandoc) between 1983 and November of 2017. Data from 23 articles and 1295 samples were assessed and extracted. The ranking order of metals based on mean concentrations (µg/g wet weight) were Fe (13.17) > Zn (9.31) > Se (2.23) > Al (1.8) > Cr (1.63) > Cu (1.52) > As (0.38) > Ni (0.33) > Pb (0.24) > Cd (0.14) > Hg (0.11) > Sn (0.1). Except for Cd and Se, concentrations of other metals in the canned tuna fish were lower than the limits recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Iran National Standards Organization (INSO). The minimum and maximum target hazard quotient (THQ) for adults were 5.55E-5 for Al and 2.23E-08 for Cr. For children, they were 7.23E-05 for Al and 2.91E-08 for Cr. THQ, and total target hazard quotient (TTHQ) were ≤1.0 for adult and children consumers. The Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR) of As was 3.21E-5 in adults and 4.18E-5 in children. Adults and children that consume canned tuna fish in Iran are not at non-carcinogenic risk but have a carcinogenic risk due to As.

Radon 222 in drinking water resources of Iran: A systematic review, meta-analysis and probabilistic risk assessment (Monte Carlo simulation).

The current study was performed to review the conducted studies regarding the concentration of radon 222 in the tap drinking water; furthermore, by estimation of ingestion and inhalation effective dose, the health risk assessment in the adults and children using MCS technique was assessed. All related studies published among January 1990 to October 2016; were screened in the available databases such as Web of Science, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, SID, and Irandoc. The total effective dose was estimated by calculating Eing (Effective dose of ingestion) and Einh (Effective dose of inhalation) by Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) method. The range of ND ─ 40.9 Bq/L for radon 222 in water resources was proposed after evaluation of data collected from 13 studies with 1079 samples. The overall concentration of radon 222 in drinking water in Iran was 3.98: 95%CI (3.79 ─ 4.17 Bq/L). Also, the effective ingestion dose of radon 222 in adults age groups was 1.35 times higher than children. The rank order of drinking water resources based on the concentration of radon 222 was Spring > Spring and Well > Well > Spring and Qanat > Tap water. The overall concentration of radon 222 in drinking water in Iran was lower than WHO and EPA standard limits. Also, the rank order regarding area studied based on the concentration of radon 222 was Gillan > Mashhad > Mazandaran > Kerman > Yazd > Tehran > Kermanshah > Golestan > Hormozgan. The effective ingestion dose of radon 222 to consumers in the Gillan, Mashhad, Mazandaran, and Kerman were higher than WHO guidance (0.1 mSv/y). Also except consumers in the Hormozgan, inhalation effective dose radon 222, in the other investigated areas were higher than WHO guidance (0.1 mSv/y). Therefore, it is recommended to conduct the required programs regarding control and elimination of radon 222 concentration in Iranian drinking water supply.

Systematic review and health risk assessment of arsenic and lead in the fished shrimps from the Persian gulf.

The ingestion of heavy metals through contaminated seafood can causes significant outcomes on human health. In recent years, consume fishes and shrimps has increased in Iran, and several study about heavy metals content in fishes and shrimps from Persian Gulf were carried out to check their food safety. The aims of these systematic reviews and meta-analysis was to summarize the evidence on the relation of the intakes of Arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) levels, based on the origin and sub-groups of shrimp species consumed, Hence that we can estimate the risk of oral cancer induced by Pb and As in these groups of shrimp from the persian gulf. We carried out a search of all suitable studies published between 1995 and 2017 in Scopus, Science Direct, PubMed and Web of Science databases. Since the heterogeneity among studied was significant, we used the random effect model (REM) to perform meta-analysis of data. Data were obtained from 9 articles (14 studies), with 511 samples, and it was reported that pooled levels of As and Pb in the muscle shrimps were 1.37 (95% CI: 0.66-2.08 mg/kg d.w.) and 0.58 (95% CI: 0.33-0.82 mg/kg d.w.), respectively. This pooled levels in muscle shrimps were higher than safe dose reported on Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization guidelines (FAO/WHO). The rank order of shrimps species based on As was Panulirus homarus > Penaeus semisulcatus and for the Pb levels was Litopenaeus vannamei > Panulirus homarus > Fenneropenaeus indicus > Metapenaeus affinis. The lowest and highest risk levels of oral cancer, divided by consumers age groups, were respectively 45-54 (6.94E-04) and 15-24 (8.42E-04) for the Pb, and 45-54 (2.87E-01) and 15-24 (3.51E-01) for arsenic. Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR) of Pb and As was higher than 10-4 and 10-3, respectively. All groups (age) of consumers are subject to the cancer risk of due to the consumption of shrimps contaminated by Pb and As, therefore, should be started a control plan for the reduction of the heavy metal bioaccumulation levels in shrimps of the Persian Gulf coupled to a capillary food safety communication.

Assessment of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk lead in bottled water in different age groups in Bandar Abbas Ciry, Iran.

The presence of heavy metals such as lead in drinking water resources can be dangerous for human because of toxicity and biological accumulation. The consumption of water or food which contains lead in high concentration can lead to prevent from Hemoglobin Synthesis (Anemia) and Kidney diseases. In this present study, the researcher collected 432 samples of bottled water in the popular marks in summer and winter from the surface of Bandar Abbas. The lead concentration was measured by atomic absorption Spectrophotometer in model DR2800 through the Dithizone method. CDI, R and HQ which are caused by lead for adult men, women and children, have been calculated and evaluated through the equations of EPA and WHO. The mean concentration of lead, which is 3.46± 0.47 µg/l, and its range, which is 1.9-17.6 µg/l, are lower than the guideline of WHO (10 µg/l) and MPC of EPA is (15 µg/l). But the 40 samples of the bottled water (9.2%) have the concentration higher than guideline WHO and 8 samples (1.85%) has the concentration higher than the permissible limits of the EPA. CDI in different age groups is as following manner: Children>adult men>adult women. CDI in children is more than twice as much as in the adult men and women. The R of lead for children (24E-7), adult men (11E-7) and for adult women (10E-7) are more than the acceptable level of R in EPA (1E-6) but less than the acceptable level of R in WHO (1E-4). Since HQ of adult men (34E-5), adult women (31E-5) and children (84E-5), is lower than 1, it can be said that the population of Bandar Abbas is in a safe area regarding the HQ of the bottled water's lead.