The mother-offspring transfer of chlorothalonil through human breast milk: A multi-city cross-sectional study.

4-Hydroxychlorothalonil (4-OH CHT), the main metabolite of chlorothalonil and the most widely used fungicide, has been frequently detected in human samples during monitoring. 4-OH CHT may exhibit higher toxicity and persistence in the environment compared to its prototype. In this study, a total of 540 paired serum and breast milk samples from pregnant women in three provinces in China were monitored for contaminant residues. 4-OH CHT was analyzed in the samples using ultra high-performance liquid chromatography - high-resolution mass spectrometry with a detection limit of 20 ng/L. The study investigated the effects of demographic factors, such as BMI, region of residence, and education level, on the levels of 4-OH CHT residues in serum and breast milk. Among the three provinces, the highest median concentration of 4-OH CHT in serum samples was observed in Hebei (1.04 × 103 ng/L), while the highest median concentration of 4-OH CHT in breast milk samples was observed in Hubei and Guangdong (491 ng/L). Multiple linear regression was used to investigate the significant positive correlation between 4-OH CHT in serum and breast milk (p = 0.000) after adjusting for personal characteristics. Based on this, the study further explored the influencing factors of transfer efficiencies (TEs) in conjunction with the individual TEs and the personal characteristics of the participants. Our results demonstrated that the age of the volunteers and their exercise habits had an effect on TEs, but further studies are needed to determine whether exercise leads to an increase in TEs.

Human exposure characteristics of pharmaceutical and personal care product chemicals and associations with dietary habits.

Considering the widespread presence of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) in the environment and their adverse health effects, human exposure to PPCPs has caused worldwide concern. However, there remains insufficient information on the exposure assessment of the Chinese population. Based on this, the exposure levels of 13 PPCPs in the urine samples of 986 Chinese adults were measured, aiming to provide information on the prevalence of PPCP occurrence and investigate potential correlations between PPCP exposure and obesity. Results showed that the detection rates of these compounds in urine ranged from 28.12 % to 98.58 %, with median concentrations ranging below the limit of detection to 10.58 ng mL-1. Methyl-paraben (MeP) was the most dominant paraben and had the highest urinary concentration (median = 10.12 ng mL-1), while 4-hydroxy-benzophenone (4-OH-BP) was the dominant benzophenone derivative (median = 0.22 ng mL-1). In antibacterials, the urinary concentration of triclosan (mean = 42.00 ng mL-1) was much higher than that of triclocarban (mean = 0.63 ng mL-1). PPCP concentrations were significantly associated with sex, age, body mass index, education level, and annual household income (p < 0.050). Regression analysis of dietary habits showed that seafood and tea consumption may be significant exposure sources of PPCP exposure (p < 0.050). Furthermore, individual exposure to MeP (odds ratio (OR) < 1, p = 0.002) and 4-OH-BP (OR < 1, p = 0.009) exhibited a significantly negative association with obesity in females. Also, analysis results from quantile g-computation and Bayesian kernel machine regression models demonstrated that an inverse correlation between PPCP mixture exposure and obesity was significant in females. This study reports the extensive prevalence of PPCP exposure among adults from China, and may provide crucial insights into PPCP exposure dynamics. More epidemiological studies are need in the future, with a thorough knowledge of PPCP exposure.

High-sensitivity liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry quantitative for alkyl imidazolium ionic liquids in human serum: Advancing biomonitoring of human exposure concerns.

Alkyl imidazolium ionic liquids (Cn[MIM]), initially heralded as eco-friendly green solvents for diverse industrial applications, have increasingly been recognized fortheir biodegradability challenges and multiple biotoxicity. Despite potential health risks, research into the effects of Cn[MIM] on human health remains scarce, particularly regarding their detection in biological serum samples. This study validated a matrix-matched calibration quantitative method that utilizes solid-phase extraction (SPE) coupled with ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The method was used to analyze the presence of 10 ionic liquids (ILs) with varying alkyl carbon chain lengths (C2-C12) across 300 human serum samples. Efficient separation was achieved using optimized SPE conditions and a BEH C18 column with an appropriate mobile phase. Results demonstrated a strong linear relationship (0.05-100 ng/mL; R2 = 0.995-0.999), with detection and quantification limits with detection and quantification limits ranging from 0.001 to 0.107 ng/mL and 0.003-0.355 ng/mL, respectively. Intraday and inter-day precisions were 0.85-6.99 % and 1.50-7.46 %, with recoveries between 82 and 113 %. The validated method detected C6MIM in 19 % of samples and C8MIM in 8.3 % of samples, with concentrations ranging from 0.02 to 111.70 µg/L and 0.09-16.99 µg/L, respectively, suggesting a potential risk of human exposure. This underscores the importance of robust detection methods in monitoring environmental and human health impacts of alkyl imidazolium compounds.

Bayesian analysis of physiologically based toxicokinetic (PBTK) modeling for pentachlorophenol exposure in pregnant women.

Pentachlorophenol (PCP) is a persistent organic compound that is widely present in the environment. The estimation of internal exposure levels for a given external exposure using toxicokinetic models is key to the human health risk assessment of PCP. The present study developed a physiologically based multicompartmental pharmacokinetic (PBTK) model to describe and predict the behavior of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in an organism. The model consists of stomach, intestines, adipose tissue, kidneys and fast- and poorly perfused tissues that are interconnected via blood circulation. We constructed a PBTK model of PCP in rats and extrapolated it to human dietary PCP exposure. The toxicokinetic data of PCP in human tissues and excreta were obtained from the published literature. Based on the collected PCP dietary survey and internal exposure data of pregnant women in Shanghai, Bayesian statistical analysis was performed for the model using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation. The posterior distributions of the sensitive parameters were estimated, and the model was parameter optimized and validated using the pregnant women's test dataset. The results showed that the root mean square error (RMSE) improved 37.3% compared to the original model, and a systematic literature search revealed that the optimized model achieved acceptable prediction results for other datasets in China. A PCP metabolism model based on the exposure characteristics of pregnant women in China was constructed in the present study. The model provides a theoretical basis for the study of PCP toxicity and risk assessment.

Occurrence of rare earth elements in umbilical cord serum and association with thyroid hormones and birth outcomes in newborns.

Rare earth elements (REEs) are emerging contaminants that are increasingly used in high technology products. However, limited information is available regarding exposure to REEs and associated health effects in neonates. This study aimed to investigate the association between REE concentrations and thyroid hormone levels, as well as birth outcomes in 109 newborns in Beijing, China. We measured the concentrations of 16 REEs and thyroid hormones in umbilical cord serum. To assess the impact of exposure to individual REEs and REE mixtures on thyroid hormone levels and birth outcomes, we employed univariate linear regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), and weighted quantile sum (WQS) models. We detected 14 REEs at high rates (92.6%-100%), with yttrium exhibiting the highest median (interquartile range) concentration [43.94 (0.33-172.55) ng/mL], followed by scandium [3.64 (0.46-11.15) ng/mL]. Univariate analyses showed that per logarithmic (ln)-unit change of neodymium (Nd) and samarium (Sm) was associated with 0.039 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.001, 0.007] and 0.031 (95% CI: 0.003, 0.060) increases in free thyroxine (FT4) levels, respectively. Moreover, 14 REEs exhibited significant associations with triiodothyronine (T3) levels, resulting in increases ranging from 0.066 to 0.307. Elevated concentrations of terbium (Tb) [per ln-unit change: -0.021 (95% CI: -0.041, -0.01)] and lutetium (Lu) [-0.023 (95% CI: -0.043, -0.002)] were inversely correlated with birth length in newborns. A further multiple exposure analysis employing the LASSO model identified Sm, Nd, Y, Sc, and Lu as critical factors influencing FT4 and T3 levels. Additionally, WQS analyses showed positive associations between exposure to a mixture of 14 REEs and FT4 (P = 0.046), T3 (P < 0.001), and birth length (P = 0.049). These findings suggest that in utero exposure to REEs might disrupt thyroid hormone homeostasis and impact intrauterine growth. Further studies are warranted to validate these findings and elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

Brain structure and functional connectivity linking childhood cumulative trauma to COVID-19 vicarious traumatization.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused some individuals to experience vicarious traumatization (VT), an adverse psychological reaction to those who are primarily traumatized, which may negatively impact one's mental health and well-being and has been demonstrated to vary with personal trauma history. The neural mechanism of VT and how past trauma history affects current VT remain largely unknown. This study aimed to identify neurobiological markers that track individual differences in VT and reveal the neural link between childhood cumulative trauma (CCT) and VT. METHODS: We used structural and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging before the pandemic to identify prospective brain markers for COVID-related VT by correlating individuals' VT levels during the pandemic with the gray matter volume (GMV) and seed-based resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) and examined how these brain markers linked CCT to VT in a sample of general young adults (N = 115/100). RESULTS: Whole-brain GMV-behavior correlation analysis showed that VT was positively associated with GMV in the right dorsolateral prefrontal gyrus (DLPFC). Using the cluster derived from the GMV-behavior correlation analysis as the seed region, we further revealed that the RSFC between the right DLPFC and right precuneus was negatively associated with VT. Importantly, the right DLPFC volume and DLPFC-precuneus RSFC mediated the effect of CCT on VT. These findings remained unaffected by factors such as family socioeconomic status, other stressful life events, and general mental health. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our study presents structural and functional brain markers for VT and highlights these brain-based markers as a potential neural mechanism linking CCT to COVID-related VT, which has implications for treating and preventing the development of trauma-related mental disorders.

Liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) in indoor residential dust from Beijing, China: occurrence and human exposure.

Liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) are widely used in electronic devices and emerging as an environmental pollutant, while their occurrence in indoor environments is still less studied. In this study, 32 out of 37 target LCMs were detected in indoor residential dust samples (n = 112) from Beijing, China. Concentrations of Σ32LCMs ranged from 17.8 to 197 ng/g, with a median value of 54.7 ng/g. Fluorinated biphenyls and analogs (FBAs) and cyanobiphenyls and analogs (CBAs), with median concentrations of 22.8 and 15.9 ng/g, respectively, were the main kinds of LCMs. Although 32 LCMs can be detected, four monomers with the highest contamination levels contributed to almost 70% of the total LCMs. Spearman correlation analysis found significant correlations among some monomers, which indicated that they might share similar sources in the residential environment. Estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of LCMs via indoor dust for Beijing residents were calculated, and the results showed that dust ingestion and dermal contact were both main intake pathways to LCMs, and younger people may face higher exposure to LCMs. A comparison to the results of China's total diet study showed that EDIs of LCMs via food consumption might be higher than that via dust intake, while health risks caused by exposure of LCMs for the general population, both through food and dust, were insignificant at present.

Empathy with nature promotes pro-environmental attitudes in preschool children.

This study aimed to explore whether empathy with nature (i.e., the tendency to understand and share the emotional experience of the natural world) contributes to pro-environmental attitudes in early childhood. In a correlational investigation (Study 1), 138 (Mage = 57.78 months) preschool children completed a battery of tasks to measure their pro-environmental attitudes, empathy with nature, and empathy with humans. We found that empathy with nature positively predicts pro-environmental attitudes, even beyond the predictive power of empathy with humans. In a quasi-experimental investigation (Study 2), 46 children from two parallel classes in the same preschool were recruited as the intervention (n = 23, Mage = 66.74 months) and control (n = 23, Mage = 67.61 months) groups. An intervention session that aimed to induce empathy with nature was applied to the intervention group, whereas an active control teaching session was applied to the control group. After the intervention, the intervention group demonstrated greater pro-environmental attitudes than did the control group. Together, our studies provide converging evidence that empathy with nature promotes pro-environmental attitudes in early childhood, further implying the value of integrating empathy with nature in early childhood environmental education.

Target Analysis of Polychlorinated Naphthalenes and Nontarget Screening of Organic Chemicals in Bovine Milk, Infant Formula, and Adult Milk Powder by High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry.

Infant formula is intended as an effective substitute for breast milk but is the main source of polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) to nonbreastfed infants. We performed target and nontarget analyses to determine PCNs and identify other organic contaminants in infant formula. The mean PCN concentrations in infant formula, milk powder, and bovine milk were 106.1, 88.8, and 78.2 µg kg-1 of dry weight, respectively. The PCN congener profiles indicated that thermal processes and raw materials were probably the main sources of PCNs in infant formula. A health risk assessment indicated that PCNs in infant formula do not pose health risks to infants. Using gas chromatography-Orbitrap mass spectrometry, 352, 372, and 161 organic chemicals were identified in the infant formula, milk powder, and bovine milk samples, respectively. Phthalate esters were detected in all four plastic-packed milk powder samples. The results indicated milk becomes more contaminated with organic chemicals during manufacturing, processing, and packaging.

[Associations of a mixture of eleven endocrine disruptors in human urine with the risk of papillary thyroid cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations of human exposure to a mixture of 11 endocrine disruptors(EDCs) with the risk of papillary thyroid cancer(PTC), and to identify the priority of these EDCs. METHODS: EDCs were determined in fasting urine specimens to represent human exposure. Logistics regressions were performed to examine the associations between individual EDC and PTC risk. Bayes kernel machine regression was applied to examine the associations between the mixture of EDCs and PTC risk. Weighted quantile sum(WQS) regression and LASSO regression were performed to identify the main contributor. RESULTS: In the multivariate logistic regression model, after adjusting for a series of variables, 11 endocrine disruptors were statistically significantly correlated with the risk of PTC(P<0.05). In BKMR models, the mixture of EDCs was positively correlated with the risk of PTC(P<0.05). The weight and coefficient of mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate(MEHHP) was 0.62 and 1.58 in WQS and LASSO models, respectively, which were much higher than those of the other EDCs. CONCLUSION: Combined exposure to o a variety of EDCs might promote the risk of PTC, and MEHHP was identified as the main contributor.

Chinese calligraphic handwriting practice promotes positive affect in adolescents: Converging evidence from correlational and experimental designs.

Chinese calligraphic handwriting (CCH) practice has proven to be beneficial to several aspects of psychological health and has been considered a complementary therapy for mental disorders. However, less is known about whether CCH practice benefits an individual's positive affect, a core component of affective well-being. Therefore, we examined this question in Chinese adolescents by combining correlational and experimental methods. In Study 1 (N = 1460), we found that high school students who practiced CCH had higher positive affect in their daily lives than those who did not practice CCH. In Study 2, a training experiment was conducted with college students, who were randomly assigned to receive either CCH training or no treatment. A six-day short-term CCH training led to a significant benefit in positive affect in the training group (N = 23) relative to the control group (N = 27). Together, our study provides converging evidence that CCH practice can promote positive affect in adolescents, further supporting the promotion of CCH in mental health practice.

Occurrence, spatial distribution, and risk assessment of perchlorate in tea from typical regions in China.

Perchlorate is a kind of persistent pollutant which occurs widely in the environment. The news of "high content of perchlorate detected in tea exported from China to Europe" has aroused public concerns on perchlorate in tea. However, limited data on its occurrence in tea and health risks for the tea consumers are available. To this end, this study explored the occurrence and spatial distribution of perchlorate based on 747 tea samples collected from the 13 major tea producing regions in China. Perchlorate was detected in 100% of tea samples. The average concentration of perchlorate was 163 µg/kg with the range from 1.2 µg/kg to 3132 µg/kg. From the perspective of spatial distribution, a remarkable difference was observed for perchlorate concentrations in tea samples between different regions (p < 0.0001), and the average concentration of perchlorate from the central China (409 µg/kg) was higher than that from the eastern (90.7 µg/kg) and western (140 µg/kg) regions. However, this study cannot obtain the difference of perchlorate concentrations between different tea categories. Furthermore, a human exposure assessment of perchlorate intake through tea consumption was performed by deterministic and probabilistic risk assessment. The average chronic daily intake (CDI) to perchlorate of Chinese tea consumers was 0.0183 µg/kg bw/day, however, CDI for high tea consumers (99% and 99.9%) was 0.1514-0.4675 µg/kg bw/day. The health risk assessment conducted with a hazard quotient showed that perchlorate exposure through tea consumption was under a safety threshold. Nevertheless, if other dietary exposure pathways were considered, health risks to perchlorate for high tea consumers would be paid attention to.

Concentrations, Profiles, and Health Risks of Organic Ultraviolet Filters in Eight Food Categories Determined through the Sixth Chinese Total Diet Study.

Ultraviolet (UV) filters are emerging contaminants that have been found in high concentrations in human tissues. Food intake is generally considered to be the primary route of human exposure to contaminants. In this study, 184 composite food samples, prepared from 4268 individual samples in eight categories collected from 23 Chinese provinces for the sixth Chinese total diet study, were analyzed. The total and median UV filter concentrations in food samples were 1.5-68.3 and 7.9 ng/g wet weight, respectively. The highest median concentrations were found in decreasing order in meat, cereals, and legumes. In total, 15 UV filters were analyzed. 2-Ethylhexyl salicylate, homosalate, and 2-ethylhexyl-4-methoxycinnamate were dominant and made median contributions of 34.1%, 22.6%, and 14.5%, respectively, and 2-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4,6-di-tert-pentylphenol contributed the median of 0.03%, of the total UV filter concentrations. The estimated total daily UV filter intake in animal-origin foods and total UV filter concentration in human milk from the same province were significantly correlated (r = 0.44, p < 0.05). Predicted absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination properties led to 10 UV filters being prioritized as most likely to be retained in human tissues. The prioritization results and toxicity assessments indicated that octocrylene and 2-ethylhexyl-4-methoxycinnamate have stronger effects in vivo and therefore require more attention than others.

6:2 Chlorinated Polyfluoroalkyl Ether Sulfonates Exert Stronger Thyroid Homeostasis Disruptive Effects in Newborns than Perfluorooctanesulfonate: Evidence Based on Bayesian Benchmark Dose Values from a Population Study.

Growing toxicologic evidence suggests that emerging perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), like chlorinated polyfluoroalkyl ether sulfonate (Cl-PFESA), may be as toxic or more toxic than perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). However, further investigations are needed in terms of the human health risk assessment. This study examined the effects of emerging and legacy PFAS exposure on newborn thyroid homeostasis and compared the thyroid disruption caused by 6:2 Cl-PFESA and PFOS using a benchmark dose approach. The health effects of mixture and individual exposure were estimated using the partial least-squares (PLS) model and linear regression, respectively. A Bayesian benchmark dose (BMD) analysis determined the BMD value for adverse effect comparison between 6:2 Cl-PFESA and PFOS. The median (interquartile range) concentrations of 6:2 Cl-PFESA (0.573 [0.351-0.872] ng/mL), PFOS (0.674 [0.462-1.007] ng/mL), and PFOA (1.457 [1.034, 2.405] ng/mL) were found to be similar. The PLS model ranked the PFAS variables' importance in projection (VIP) scores as follows: 6:2 Cl-PFESA > PFOS > PFOA. Linear regression showed that 6:2 Cl-PFESA had a positive association with free triiodothyronine (FT3, P = 0.006) and triiodothyronine (T3, P = 0.014), while PFOS had a marginally significant positive association with FT3 alone (P = 0.042). The BMD analysis indicated that the estimated BMD10 for 6:2 Cl-PFESA (1.01 ng/mL) was lower than that for PFOS (1.66 ng/mL) in relation to a 10% increase in FT3. These findings suggest that 6:2 Cl-PFESA, an alternative to PFOS, has a more pronounced impact on newborns' thyroid homeostasis compared to PFOS and other legacy PFASs.

Neuroanatomical signatures associated with dispositional optimism predict COVID-19-related posttraumatic stress symptoms.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been increasingly documented to cause negative impacts on mental health outcomes, e.g. posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Dispositional optimism ("optimism" hereinafter), a crucial psychological characteristic defined by positive expectancies for future outcomes, is considered to provide remarkable protection against PTSS. Accordingly, this study was designed to identify neuroanatomical signatures of optimism and further examine the mechanism through which optimism protects against COVID-19-specific PTSS. Here, 115 volunteers from a general population of university students completed MRI scans and optimism tests before (October 2019-January 2020) and after (February-April 2020) the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whole-brain voxel-based morphometry analysis showed that a region from the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) to the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) was associated with optimism. Further seed-based structural covariance network (SCN) analysis using partial least-squares correlation found an optimism-linked SCN covarying with the combined dACC and dmPFC (the dACC-dmPFC). Additionally, mediation analyses revealed that the dACC-dmPFC volume and its SCN impacted COVID-19-specific PTSS through optimism. Our findings deepen the understanding of optimism and have the potential to identify vulnerable individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic or similar future events, as well as to guide optimism-related neural interventions to prevent and alleviate PTSS.

Comprehensive evaluation of perchlorate dietary exposure and health risks for Chinese adult males and breastfed infants.

Perchlorate is an environmental contaminant that has both natural and anthropogenic sources. Widespread contamination of various foods with perchlorate can be caused by water, soil, and fertilizer. Because of concerns about the health effects of perchlorate, attention has focused on its occurrence in food and potential human exposure. In this study, the dietary exposures of Chinese adult males and breastfed infants to perchlorate were evaluated using data from the sixth China Total Diet Study and the third National Breast Milk Monitoring Program conducted between 2016 and 2019. In the sixth China Total Diet Study, perchlorate was detected in 94.8 % of composite dietary samples (n = 288) from 24 provinces in China, while for the third National Breast Milk Monitoring, perchlorate was found in 100 % of pooled breast milk samples (n = 100) collected from 100 cities/counties in China. Vegetables were found to be the main source of dietary exposure for Chinese adult males. Furthermore, the concentrations in breast milk between urban (n = 34, mean: 38.6 µg/L) and rural (n = 66, mean: 59.0 µg/L) regions from 100 cities/counties in China were not significantly different. On average, the estimated daily intake of Chinese adult males (18-45 years) to perchlorate was 0.449 µg/kg bw/day, while that for breastfed infants (0-24 months) was 3.21-5.43 µg/kg bw/day. The exposure to perchlorate in breastfed infants was almost 10-fold greater than that of Chinese adult males.

Dietary Intake of Multiple Nutrient Elements and Associated Health Effects in the Chinese General Population from a Total Diet Study.

Nutrient elements are essential for human health. The intake of nutrient elements (Na, K, Ca, Mg, P, Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu, Se, Mo, and Cr) in the general Chinese population was comprehensively evaluated via a recent total diet study (2016-2019), covering more than two-thirds of the total population. The contents of nutrient elements in 288 composite dietary samples were determined by ICP-MS. The dietary sources, regional distribution, the relationship with the earth's crust, dietary intake, and health effects were discussed. Plant foods were the main source of both macro-elements and trace elements, accounting for 68-96% of total intake. Trace elements in food were compatible with their abundance in the earth's crust. Na intake reduced by 1/4 over the last decade but was still high. The average intake of Ca, Mg, Zn, and Se did not reach the health guidance values, while the average intake of K, P, Mn, Fe, Cu, Mo, and Cr fell within a reasonable range. No element exceeded the UL. However, an imbalance was identified in the dietary Na/K ratio and Ca/P ratio. This paper provides a most recent and national-representative assessment of nutrient element intake, indicating the significance of salt reduction and dietary structure optimization for the population.

Chronic Health Risk for Chinese Adults and Breastfed Infants on Dietary Exposure to Chlorothalonil and Its Main Metabolite.

This study presents the first nationwide study on the chronic health risks of chlorothalonil and its metabolite (4-OH-chlorothalonil) for Chinese adults and breastfed infants via dietary intake. The determination of chlorothalonil and 4-OH-chlorothalonil in dietary samples was accomplished by cold-induced liquid-liquid extraction using liquid chromatography─high-resolution mass spectrometry. Chlorothalonil and 4-OH-chlorothalonil were detected in 43.1 and 46.1% of total dietary samples, respectively, while only 4-OH-chlorothalonil was detected in 100% of breast milk samples. Chlorothalonil and 4-OH-chlorothalonil residues in dietary samples of Northwest China and Shandong regions were higher in comparison to those of other regions. No correlation between 4-OH-chlorothalonil residues in breast milk and adult daily dietary intake to total chlorothalonil indicates the presence of other exposure routes besides dietary exposure. Furthermore, a residue analysis of 4-OH-chlorothalonil in breast milk between urban and rural areas in all sampling locales showed no statistical difference (p > 0.05). The findings of this study reveal that the chronic health risks caused by dietary exposure to chlorothalonil and 4-OH-chlorothalonil are low for Chinese adults and breastfed infants.

Polychlorinated naphthalenes in milk-based infant and toddler formula sold on the Chinese market.

Polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) are dioxin-like compounds that have been reported to be present in a wide variety of foodstuffs. Milk-based infant and toddler formula sometimes plays an important role in the diet of young children and could potentially cause adverse effects if contaminated with PCNs. This study investigated the concentrations of PCNs in commercial milk-based formula produced in different countries and sold on the Chinese market for three age groups: 0-6, 6-12 and 12-36 months. The total concentrations of PCNs in 72 samples from different countries of formula based on cow milk ranged from 7.8 to 30.3 pg/g whole weight (ww). Although the PCN concentrations in formula produced in Asia, Europe and South Pacific varied, all had comparable toxic equivalent (TEQ) values. Tri-CNs were the predominant PCN homologue in all samples. No significant differences in the concentrations of PCNs were found between samples of formula for each of the three age groups. The mean TEQ for PCNs in goat milk formula samples (0.0031 pg TEQ/g ww) was higher than the value for cow milk formula (0.0009 pg TEQ/g ww) produced in China, and the proportion of higher chlorinated PCNs in goat milk formula was also higher. Based on dry weight, the mean concentration of PCNs in the raw cow milk (119 pg/g dry weight (dw)) used to produce infant and toddler formula was higher than that in the actual formula (24.2 pg/g dw), and the PCN profiles also varied between the raw milk and formula. A risk assessment indicated that, in China, consuming formula poses a lower risk to infants and toddlers from based on exposure to PCNs compared with consuming breast milk.