Sensitivity of PM10 oxidative potential to aerosol chemical composition at a Mediterranean urban site: ascorbic acid versus dithiothreitol measurements.

The oxidative potential (OP) of PM10 daily samples collected at a traffic site in southeastern Spain during summer and winter was assessed by two acellular assays: the ascorbic acid (AA) and dithiothreitol (DTT) methods. Although PM10 levels were similar during both periods, OP values (expressed in nmol min-1 m-3) showed a defined seasonal trend. The AA activity was higher in summer than in winter, whereas the DTT reactivity exhibited an opposite seasonal pattern. Both assays were sensitive to different PM10 components, as shown by the results of the linear correlation analysis. Moreover, the relationship between OP values and PM10 chemical species was not the same during summer and winter, indicating that particle toxicity is associated with different sources during the warm and cold seasons. When OP values were expressed on a mass basis (nmol min-1 µg-1), lower correlation coefficients with PM10 chemical species were generally obtained compared to volume-normalized activities. These outcomes suggest that only some specific components have a significant intrinsic oxidative potential. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11869-023-01332-1.

Pollutant emissions during the pyrolysis and combustion of starch/poly(vinyl alcohol) biodegradable films.

The massive use of petroleum-based polymers and their improper waste treatment has brought on significant global environmental problems due to their non-biodegradable nature. Starch/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) bioplastics are suitable substitutes for conventional polymers, such as polyethylene, due to their full biodegradability and excellent mechanical properties. Knowledge of the pollutant emissions during pyrolysis and combustion of starch/PVA films is important because they can arrive at landfills mixed with conventional polymers and be thermally degraded in uncontrolled fires. On the other hand, controlled thermal treatments could result in thermal valorization of the waste. Pyrolysis and combustion experiments were carried out at 650, 750, 850 and 950 °C in a laboratory furnace. The analysis of carbon oxides, light hydrocarbons, and semivolatile compounds, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), is shown. Experiments showed lower pollutant emissions than those found with conventional polymers, such as polyethylene and polyester, in the same equipment. Nevertheless, the pyrolysis run at 950 °C showed the highest light hydrocarbon yield (123013 mg kg-1), but this is considerably lower than the values found for polyethylene. The main semivolatile compounds (not PAHs) emitted, with maximum yields ranging from 1351 to 4694 mg kg-1, were benzaldehyde, phenol, indene, and acetophenone. Specifically, the total semivolatile compounds emitted after pyrolysis and combustion of starch/PVA samples represent only 38 and 50%, respectively, of those emitted with polyethylene. Further, the main PAHs were naphthalene, acenaphthylene, and phenanthrene with maximum values of 4694, 2704 and 1496 mg kg-1, respectively. The PAH yield was considerably higher in experiments with low oxygen content.

Presence of mycotoxins in ready-to-eat food and subsequent risk assessment.

A study on a set of ready-to-eat meals (n = 328) based on cereals, legumes, vegetables, fish and meat was carried out to determine the natural presence of twenty-seven mycotoxins by both liquid chromatography and gas chromatography coupled mass spectrometry in tandem (MS/MS) after QuEChERS extraction. The occurrence of mycotoxins was headed by cereal samples with 35% of samples contaminated by at least one mycotoxin followed by vegetables (32%), legumes (15%) and lastly, 9% of fish and meat samples were contaminated. DON was the most detected mycotoxin in vegetables, meat, fish and cereals with an incidence of 13% 18% 19% and 60%, respectively, and the highest mean levels were found in fish (1.19 µg/kg) and vegetable (1.53 µg/kg), respectively. The highest levels means were for HT-2 toxin ranging from 4.03 to 7.79 µg/kg, in cereal and legume samples respectively. In this last, HT-2 toxin was also the most prevalent (54%). In meat samples, OTA resulted with highest value with 8.09 µg/kg. Likewise, PCA analysis revealed a high correlation between the mycotoxins and the food groups analyzed. The findings indicate that there is no toxicological concern associated with exposure to mycotoxins for consumers as all levels were in accordance with the legislation.

Complete Mitochondrial Genome Sequencing of a Burial from a Romano-Christian Cemetery in the Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt: Preliminary Indications.

The curse of ancient Egyptian DNA was lifted by a recent study which sequenced the mitochondrial genomes (mtGenome) of 90 ancient Egyptians from the archaeological site of Abusir el-Meleq. Surprisingly, these ancient inhabitants were more closely related to those from the Near East than to contemporary Egyptians. It has been accepted that the timeless highway of the Nile River seeded Egypt with African genetic influence, well before pre-Dynastic times. Here we report on the successful recovery and analysis of the complete mtGenome from a burial recovered from a remote Romano-Christian cemetery, Kellis 2 (K2). K2 serviced the ancient municipality of Kellis, a village located in the Dakhleh Oasis in the southwest desert in Egypt. The data were obtained by high throughput sequencing (HTS) performed independently at two ancient DNA facilities (Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory, Dover, DE, USA and Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA). These efforts produced concordant haplotypes representing a U1a1a haplogroup lineage. This result indicates that Near Eastern maternal influence previously identified at Abusir el-Meleq was also present further south, in ancient Kellis during the Romano-Christian period.

Effects of salvage logging on soil properties and vegetation recovery in a fire-affected Mediterranean forest: A two year monitoring research.

Post-fire management can have an additional impact on the ecosystem; in some cases, even more severe than the fire. Salvage logging (SL) is a common practice in most fire-affected areas. The management of burnt wood can determine microclimatic conditions and seriously affect soil properties. In some cases, the way of doing it, using heavy machinery, and the vulnerability of soils to erosion and degradation can make this management potentially aggressive to soil. Research was done in "Sierra de Mariola Natural Park" (E Spain). A forest fire (>500ha) occurred in July 2012. In February 2013, SL treatment was applied in a part of the affected forest. Plots for monitoring this effect were installed in this area and in a similar nearby area where no treatment was done, used as control (C). Soil samplings were done immediately after treatment and every 6months during two years. Some soil properties were analysed, including organic matter (OM) content, nitrogen (N) available phosphorous (P) basal soil respiration (BSR), microbial biomass carbon (Cmic), bulk density (BD), water repellency (WR), aggregate stability (AS) and field capacity (FC). SL treatment caused an increase in BD, a decrease of AS, FC, OM and N. In the control area, in general the soil properties remained constant across the 2years of monitoring, and the microbial parameters (BSR and Cmic), initially affected by the fire, recovered faster in C than in the SL area. Plant recovery also showed some differences between treatments. No significant differences were observed in the number of plant species recorded (richness) comparing C versus SL plots, but the number of individuals of each species (evenness) was significantly higher in C plots. In conclusion, we can affirm that for the conditions of this study case, SL had a negative effect on the soil-plant system.

An exploration of adult body shape and limb proportions at Kellis 2, Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt.

Several studies have shown that the human body generally conforms to the ecogeographical expectations of Bergmann's and Allen's rules; however, recent evidence suggests that these expectations may not hold completely for some populations. Egypt is located at the crossroads of Sub-Saharan Africa, Southern Europe, and the Near East, and gene flow among groups in these regions may confound ecogeographical patterning. In this study, we test the fit of the adult physique of a large sample (N = 163) of females and males from the Kellis 2 cemetery (Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt) against ecogeographical predictions. Body shape (i.e., body mass relative to stature) was assessed by the femur head diameter to bicondylar femur length index (FHD/BFL), and brachial and crural indices were calculated to examine intralimb proportions. Body shape in the Kellis 2 sample is not significantly different from high-latitude groups and a Lower Nubian sample, and intralimb proportions are not significantly different from mid-latitude and other low-latitude groups. This study demonstrates the potential uniqueness of body shape and intralimb proportions in an ancient Egyptian sample, and further highlights the complex relationship between ecogeographic patterning and adaptation.

Determinación de deoxinivalenol en rosquilletas mediante cromatografía de gases acoplada a espectrometría de masas en tándem / Determination of deoxynivalenol in wheat-based snacks by gas chromatography-triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry

El deoxinivalenol (DON) es la micotoxina producida por hongos del género Fusarium que con más frecuencia se detecta en cereales y productos a base de cereales. Por ello, es recomendable realizar una continua monitorización de su incidencia en los alimentos. Este trabajo propone un procedimiento analítico basado en una extracción tipo QuEChERS seguido de una cromatografía de gases acoplada a un detector de triple cuadrupolo para la determinación de DON en rosquilletas. Se analizaron un total de 40 muestras las cuales se dividieron según su composición en dos grupos. El DON fue identificado en el 67,5% de las muestras analizadas con un contenido máximo de 61 μg/kg. A pesar de su incidencia elevada, los niveles de DON hallados fueron muy inferiores a los límites máximos legislados en la actual legislación europea (500 μg/kg). Los resultados obtenidos muestran una baja exposición a DON a través del consumo de esta matriz alimentaria (AU)

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is the most frequently detected mycotoxin in cereal and cereal-based products, and a continuous monitoring of this toxin in foodstuffs is highly desirable. In this sense, a QuEChERS based extraction and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry detection is proposed to determine DON in an appetizer largely consumed, the wheat-based snacks. In this study, a total of 40 samples were analyzed. The samples were divided into two groups based on the composition. Extraction was carried out with acetonitrile followed by a dispersive solid phase extraction and analyzed for DON content by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-QqQ-MS/MS) method. The overall occurrence of samples with DON was 67.5%, with maximum content of 61μg/kg. In spite of its high incidence, DON concentrations found in samples were much lower than the maximum limit established in the current European legislation (500 μg/kg) for the foodstuff evaluated. Data obtained indicated a low exposure to DON through the consumption of this food commodity (AU)

Thermogravimetric kinetic analysis and pollutant evolution during the pyrolysis and combustion of mobile phone case.

The increase in electronic waste, including cellular telephones, worldwide is a worrying reality. For this reason, urgent action on the management of these wastes is necessary within a framework that respects the environment and human health. Mobile phone components can be physically segregated through grinding at the dismantling sites, in order to reuse or reprocess (via chemical or physical recycling) the recovered plastics and valuable metals. A kinetic study of the thermal decomposition of a mobile phone case has been carried out under different conditions by thermogravimetry. Several experiments were performed in a nitrogen atmosphere (pyrolysis runs) and also in an oxidative atmosphere with two different oxygen concentrations (10% and 20% oxygen in nitrogen). Dynamic runs and dynamic+isothermal runs have been carried out to obtain much decomposition data under different operating conditions. Moreover some TG-MS runs were performed in order to better understand the thermal decomposition of a mobile phone case and identify some compounds emitted during the controlled heating of this material. A scheme of two independent reactions for pseudocomponents has been proposed for the pyrolysis process. For the combustion runs, the scheme proposed includes two pyrolytic reactions competing with other two reactions with formation of an intermediate residue, and finally the reaction of oxidation/burning of the intermediate residue. Furthermore, pyrolysis and combustion runs at 500 °C in a horizontal laboratory furnace were carried out. More than 50 compounds, including carbon oxides, light hydrocarbons, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been identified and quantified. The main semivolatile compounds detected were phenol and styrene. Furthermore, polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and polychlorodibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like PCBs produced were analyzed. In the combustion run, PCDDs were obtained in higher amounts than PCDFs and HxCDD was the most emitted homologue.

Titanic's unknown child: the critical role of the mitochondrial DNA coding region in a re-identification effort.

This report describes a re-examination of the remains of a young male child recovered in the Northwest Atlantic following the loss of the Royal Mail Ship Titanic in 1912 and buried as an unknown in Halifax, Nova Scotia shortly thereafter. Following exhumation of the grave in 2001, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) hypervariable region 1 sequencing and odontological examination of the extremely limited skeletal remains resulted in the identification of the child as Eino Viljami Panula, a 13-month-old Finnish boy. This paper details recent and more extensive mitochondrial genome analyses that indicate the remains are instead most likely those of an English child, Sidney Leslie Goodwin. The case demonstrates the benefit of targeted mtDNA coding region typing in difficult forensic cases, and highlights the need for entire mtDNA sequence databases appropriate for forensic use.

Application of an automatic thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry system for the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in airborne particulate matter.

The application of the thermal desorption (TD) method coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to the analysis of aerosol organics has been the focus of many studies in recent years. This technique overcomes the main drawbacks of the solvent extraction approach such as the use of large amounts of toxic organic solvents and long and laborious extraction processes. In this work, the application of an automatic TD-GC-MS instrument for the determination of particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is evaluated. This device offers the advantage of allowing the analysis of either gaseous or particulate organics without any modification. Once the thermal desorption conditions for PAH extraction were optimised, the method was verified on NIST standard reference material (SRM) 1649a urban dust, showing good linearity, reproducibility and accuracy for all target PAHs. The method has been applied to PM10 and PM2.5 samples collected on quartz fibre filters with low volume samplers, demonstrating its capability to quantify PAHs when only a small amount of sample is available.

Levels of ochratoxin A in wheat and maize bread from the central zone of Portugal.

Ochratoxigenic fungi are natural contaminants of cereal and the produced toxins are harmful to humans and animals. Ochratoxin A (OTA) is among the most important mycotoxins, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies it as possibly carcinogenic to humans (group 2B). A total of 61 samples of bread from the central zone of Portugal were analysed for OTA by liquid chromatography (LC) with fluorescence detection (FD). For confirmation two procedures were applied, methyl ester derivatization with boron trifluoride-methanol and liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI/MS/MS). As far as we know, this is the first report where on-line LC/electrospray ionization (ESI) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) was used for OTA analysis in bread. Limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were 0.015 and 0.03 ng/g, using LC-FD, and 0.03 and 0.09 ng/g by LC-MS/MS. The incidence of OTA was 12.9% and 70.0% for wheat and maize bread, respectively. The highest OTA levels were obtained for maize bread, having one sample exceeded the European maximum limit established for OTA in cereal products. The estimate daily intake (EDI) was below the tolerable daily intake.

Sustained antiretroviral treatment adherence in survivors of the pre-HAART era: attitudes and beliefs.

The objective of this study was to assess adherence of HIV-1-infected patients who started treatment in the pre-HAART era and to determine variables associated with better adherence, including relevant attitudes and beliefs. This is a cross-sectional study enrolling patients who had received antiretroviral therapy for >or=10 years. Adherence was evaluated through self-reporting and plasma drug concentrations. Treatment variables, attitudes and beliefs were collected during structured interviews. The results show that for 87 patients the median (interquartile range) time on therapy was 13 (10-19) years; 80 were on therapy at the time of analysis. Adherence was >or=95% in 54 patients (67.5%), 90-94% in 22 (27.5%) and <90% in 4 (5%). Drug concentrations were below the lower limit of detection in five patients. Younger age (p=0.014), female gender (p=0.005), current substance abuse (p=0.004) and hepatitis C virus co-infection (p<0.001) were related to lower adherence. Adherence did not differ in relation to different drug families or once- or twice-daily regimens. Patients with adherence <95% were more likely to have interrupted treatment without doctor's recommendation (p=0.009). Adherent patients exhibited a higher perception of risk of developing the illness and of benefits of therapy, higher self-efficacy and intention to adhere and were more influenced by events that motivate medication intake. To conclude, adherence was >90% in most patients on antiretroviral therapy for >or=10 years. Adherence was more related to beliefs about health and illness than to the characteristics of medication or level of knowledge about treatment. Care adherence interventions should include assessment of health beliefs.

Prevalence of etravirine-associated mutations in clinical samples with resistance to nevirapine and efavirenz.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the expected activity of etravirine in clinical samples, according to mutational patterns associated with decreased virological response (VR). METHODS: We identified 1586 routine clinical samples with resistance-associated mutations (RAMs) to nevirapine and efavirenz (K103N 60%, Y181C 37%, G190A 27%, V108I 13%). Concerning in vitro identified etravirine mutations, samples with F227C, Y181I, M230L or L100I plus K103N plus Y181C were considered highly resistant. Samples with two RAMs plus Y181C or V179D or K101E or Y188L were considered intermediate. The prevalence of 13 RAMs recently associated with decreased VR to etravirine in the DUET clinical trials was also investigated. RESULTS: Most samples (69%) harboured more than one IAS-USA RAM to first-generation non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs): 42% harboured two RAMs, 21% three RAMs and 6% four or more RAMs. The prevalence of 13 specific etravirine RAMs was V179F 0.12%, G190S 3.9%, Y181V 0.1%, V106I 2.6%, V179D 1.6%, K101P 2.0%, K101E 10.1%, Y181C 36.9%, A98G 5.9%, V90I 6.9%, Y181I 3.6%, G190A 27% and L100I 9.1%. The five RAMs with the most impact on VR (V179F/D, G190S, Y181V and V106I) occurred less often. Overall, 8.2% of the samples had three or more etravirine RAMs and only 1.1% had four or more. In addition, patterns of RAMs previously associated with intermediate etravirine resistance were present in 26.2% of the samples, whereas 4.85% displayed patterns of high-degree resistance. CONCLUSIONS: For RAMs associated with decreased VR, etravirine resistance in routine clinical samples was lower than previously reported. High-degree resistance was uncommon, even in patients with resistance to first-generation NNRTIs, whereas low-to-intermediate etravirine resistance was more common.

Ochratoxin A in the morning and afternoon portions of urine from Coimbra and Valencian populations.

The widespread contamination of foodstuffs and beverages by mycotoxins, such as ochratoxin A (OTA), has made the monitoring of human contamination levels essential. By using a sensitive, accurate and speedy method that combines extraction with 5% NaHCO(3), immunoaffinity column clean-up and HPLC with fluorescence detection, the human exposure to OTA through urine analysis can be monitored. This method is less invasive than blood monitoring and has the potential to be a good marker of human exposure. The limit of quantification of the method was 0.007 ng/mL of urine, with recoveries of OTA, from urine samples spiked at levels between 0.02 and 0.1 ng/mL, higher than 91% with RSD lower than 15.5%. This study evaluated OTA contamination levels in human urine sample fractions, collected in the morning and afternoon, in two populations, one from Coimbra city, in Portugal, and another from the Valencian community, in Spain. In the Coimbra population, 60 samples from 30 healthy individuals were analyzed, levels of OTA in 13 morning samples and 14 afternoon samples having been detected, with concentrations ranging from 0.011 to 0.208 and 0.008 to 0.11 ng/mL respectively. In the Valencia population, 62 samples from 31 healthy individuals were analyzed, with OTA being detected in 25 morning samples and 26 afternoon samples. The concentrations varied between 0.007 and 0.124 ng/mL in the morning samples, and 0.008 and 0.089 ng/mL in the afternoon samples. Significant differences were found between the morning levels of OTA from both populations (P=0.033). For afternoon samples, significant differences were not found, P value=0.163.

Exposure to patulin from consumption of apple-based products.

Patulin is a mycotoxin produced by species of Penicillium, Aspergillus and Byssochylamys. Several Scientific Committees classify patulin as mutagenic, embryotoxic and immunotoxic. It has been found as a natural contaminant of processed apple products and its presence may be indicative of the quality of fruit used in production. In this work, a method for the analysis of patulin is described, based on a simple liquid-liquid extraction with acetonitrile; patulin is analyzed using liquid chromatography with UV detection. Patulin identity was confirmed by GC-MS after its reaction with N-methyl-N-(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide. Fifty-three apple-containing products were analyzed and patulin was detected in 14 samples in a range 1.5-50.9 microg l(-1); six of which were above the maximum permitted level of the European Union. Based on these results and juice consumption by the Spanish adult population, patulin estimated intake was 0.42 ng kg(-1) body weight per day.

Dietary intake of ochratoxin A from conventional and organic bread.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) was extracted from 100 bread samples by using accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) and analyzed with liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence detection. The presence of OTA was confirmed by methyl-ester derivatization. Bread samples were bought from different bakeries and supermarkets, 74 of non-organic and 26 of organic bread. The incidence of OTA varied between 20.3% and 23.0% for non-organic and organic bread, respectively. The highest values were obtained with non-organic versus organic products, five samples exceeded the European maximum permitted limit of OTA (3 ng/g) for this product. Estimated daily intake of OTA in this study was 1.6 ng/kg b.w./day. This value represents 32% and 10% of the tolerable daily intake (TDI) according to the Scientific Committee on Food of the European Commission and the FAO/WHO Committee of Experts on Food Additives, respectively. The daily intake estimated from this study reflects the necessity to take a vigilant attitude to guarantee food safety.

[Nutritional assessment of the students from two European university centers]. / Evaluarea nutritionala a studentilor din doua centre universitare Europene.

UNLABELLED: This paper presents the results of a comparative study between the diets of the students from the University of Valencia and the diets of the students from the School of Pharmacy within Cluj-Napoca "I. Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study focused on the analysis of Body Mass Index (BMI) of the students from the two universities, on the assessment of the calorie and nutrients intake per sexes, on the determination of the calorie and nutrient distribution per main courses and snacks, on the determination of the consumption per foodstuff groups at the main courses and snacks. All these parameters have been analysed and interpreted in a unitary form and according to the Spanish standards. RESULTS: No significant differences have been noticed between Spanish and Romanian students regarding the BMI. The food intake was adequate, but in case of Romanian students the timetable for meals is irregular and in the menu structure potatoes and bread are present in large amount. CONCLUSIONS: Additional nutritional education is required in order to eliminate the errors and miss-conception related with the food intake.

Occurrence of fumonisins B1 and B2 in Portuguese maize and maize-based foods intended for human consumption.

Fumonisin B(1) (FB(1)) and fumonisin B(2) (FB(2)) are mycotoxins mainly produced by Fusarium verticillioides and Fusarium proliferatum, which are field pathogens of maize. A survey was conducted on the incidences of FB(1) and FB(2) in both maize and derived products purchased in Portugal. The analytical method involved extraction with methanol-water, clean-up by immunoaffinity column and derivatization with naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxaldehyde. Determination was carried out by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with spectrofluorimetric detection, with liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) confirmation. The presence of FB(1) and FB(2) was determined in 67 samples of maize and maize-based foods, such as flour, semolina, starch, sweet maize, cornflakes and other breakfast cereals, and snacks collected in 2005. FBs were found in 15 samples at concentrations ranging from 113 to 2026 microg kg(-1). Two of the samples showed higher contamination levels than the limits established by the European Commission Regulation. None of the samples contained levels of fumonisins that would lead to an exposure exceeding the tolerable daily intake (TDI).

Incidence of ochratoxin A in rice and dried fruits from Rabat and Salé area, Morocco.

One hundred samples of dried fruits (20 dried raisins, 20 walnuts, 20 peanuts, 20 dried figs and 20 pistachios) and 20 samples of rice purchased from retail shops in the Rabat and Salé area in Morocco were analysed for ochratoxin A (OTA) by immunoaffinity clean-up (IAC) and liquid chromatography (LC) with fluorescence detection. The limit of quantification (LOQ) (S/N = 10:1) of OTA was 0.02 ng g(-1) in rice, 0.03 ng g(-1) in pistachio, peanut and walnut, and 0.03 ng g(-1) in dried raisins and dried figs. The incidences of occurrence of OTA in dried raisins, walnuts, peanuts, dried figs and rice were 30, 35, 25, 65 and 90%, respectively. Analytical results showed that pistachio samples contained no detectable OTA, but concentrations ranged from 0.02 +/- 0.01 to 32.4 +/- 2.10 ng g(-1) in rice, from 0.10 +/- 0.05 to 2.36 +/- 0.75 in peanut, from 0.03 +/- 0.01 to 1.42 +/- 0.45 in dried figs, from 0.05 +/- 0.02 to 4.95 +/- 0.02 in dried raisins, and from 0.04 +/- 0.01 to 0.23 +/- 0.05 in walnuts. The results also showed that 15% of the total number of rice samples analysed exceeded the 2002 regulatory limit set by European Union regulations for cereals. This is the first report on the occurrence of OTA in dried fruits and rice available in Morocco.