Occupational exposure toAspergillusand aflatoxins among food-grain workers in India

Abstract

Background: Aflatoxins are a metabolite of Aspergillus molds and are widespread in the natural environment. Workers who handle food grains are at increased risk of exposure to aflatoxins and subsequently certain respiratory conditions. In India, more than half of the employed population is engaged in some type of agricultural work, yet little known about the respiratory problems as a result of exposure to aflatoxins among workers who handle food grains in India. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the risk of occupational exposure to aflatoxins in foodgrain workers compared to workers who are not occupationally exposed to food grains. Methods: Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and serum samples from 46 food-grain workers and 44 non-foodgrain workers were analyzed for the presence of aflatoxins. Microscopy and culture of BAL samples were performed to detect Aspergillus species. Results: Aflatoxins were detected in 32.6% of the food-grain workers and 9.1% of non food grain workers (P,0.01). A significant difference was also found in BAL culture for Aspergillus (P,0.01) between the two groups. About 47.8% of the food-grain workers and 11.4% of non-food-grain workers had chronic respiratory symptoms. Conclusion: Occupational exposure to aflatoxins in food-grain workers was found to be associated with the increased presence of respiratory symptoms.

Aflatoxins: Implications on Health

“…Epidemiological data from studies in African countries, particularly in South Africa, South East Asia and India implicate aflatoxins in the hepatobiliary carcinoma, malnutrition, kwashiorkar and marasmus [22][23][24]. Aflatoxins are clearly associated with aflatoxicosis and other health problems in the humans, livestock and domestic animals.…”

Comparative Hepatotoxicity of Aflatoxin B1 among Workers Exposed to Different Organic Dust with Emphasis on Polymorphism Role of Glutathione S-Transferase Gene

“…Aflatoxins are metabolites of Aspergillus genera which are widespread in the natural environment [ 24 ]. They are the most dangerous metabolites with high risk to cause human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) [ 25 - 27 ].…”

Occupational Exposure to Aflatoxin B1 in a Portuguese Poultry Slaughterhouse

“…This is the first study developed with the propose of assessing occupational exposure to AFB 1 in the slaughterhouse setting. Most common scenarios studied before regarding occupational exposure to mycotoxins, were agricultural sector, where grain handling has some expression (Halstensen et al, 2007;Mayer et al, 2007;Dimich-Ward et al, 2011;Malik et al, 2014) and industrial sectors like waste management (Mayer et al, 2012;Viegas et al, 2015). In what concerns this subject there are several published studies in animal production but this work is the first one claiming attention for this occupational problem in the slaughterhouses and, for the fact that can also be a food safety concern.…”