An evaluation of lead concentrations in imported hot sauces

In the last decade, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued several warnings and recalls for food products that exceed FDA standards for lead. Products containing chili peppers and salt were often suspected as sources of lead contamination, and included items such as candy that are routinely investigated. However, products such as hot sauces that contain similar ingredients have not been the focus of evaluations. This study quantified lead concentrations in imported hot sauces, evaluated product compliance to existing United States standards, and calculated potential dietary lead exposure for children using the Integrated Exposure Uptake Biokinetic Model. Finally, recommendations for reducing the risk of lead exposure from hot sauces are provided. Twenty-five (25) bottles of imported hot sauces manufactured in Mexico and South America were purchased in Clark County, Nevada. All hot sauces were analyzed for lead concentrations, pH, and leaded packaging. Hot sauces were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and packaging was analyzed using x-ray fluorescence technology. Four brands of hot sauces (16%) exceeded 0.1 ppm lead, the current FDA action level for lead in candy. Hot sauces with lead concentrations >0.1 ppm lead contained salt and were manufactured in Mexico. Subsequent analysis of additional lots of hot sauces exceeding 0.1 ppm lead revealed inconsistent lead concentrations between and within manufacturer lots. The lead concentrations of the plastic hot sauce lids ranged from below the limit of detection to 2,028 ppm lead. There was no association between lead concentrations in hot sauces and pepper type. These results indicate the need for more rigorous screening protocols for products imported from Mexico, the establishment of an applicable standard for hot sauce, and resources to allow for the enforcement of existing food safety policies. The data reported herein represent the first known investigation of lead concentrations in hot sauces.     

Levels of synthetic musk compounds in municipal wastewater for potential estimation of biota exposure in receiving waters

We analyzed water samples from the confluence of three municipal sewage treatment effluent streams, surface water, and whole carp (Cyprinus carpio) for synthetic musks for a period of 7-12 months. The lipid content of each fish was determined and compared with the concentration of musks in the whole fish tissue. Enhanced methods were used for water sampling and musk extraction. The data presented here provide insight as to the relationship between concentrations of synthetic musks in the municipal effluent and associated biota. This study confirmed the presence of polycyclic and nitro musk compounds in sewage effluent, Lake Mead water, and carp. The concentrations were found to be considerably lower than previous studies conducted in other countries. This study also provides data for polycyclic and nitro musk compounds, as well as some of the nitro musk metabolites in sewage treatment plant effluent, lake water, and carp.     

Behavioural responses of the Dungeness crab, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cancer magister</Emphasis>, during feeding and digestion in hypoxic conditions

The Dungeness crab, Cancer magister, inhabits areas that are frequently subject to periods of hypoxia. This species can employ physiological mechanisms that allow it to cope with acute hypoxic episodes. When crabs feed there is a general increase in physiological variables; these may pose an additional physiological burden on crabs already attempting to maintain adequate oxygen uptake in hypoxia. In Barkley Sound, British Columbia, the inshore habitats of C. magister ranged in dissolved oxygen from 28 kPa at the water surface to less than 1.0 kPa just above the sediment–water interface. During short-term hypoxic events, crabs reduced both the amount of food eaten and the amount of time spent feeding. Crabs tended to cease feeding below 3.2 kPa oxygen, but resumed feeding when the dissolved oxygen tensions were rapidly raised to 6 kPa. In a high (10.5–21 kPa) oxygen gradient, both unfed and fed crabs showed no preference for any area of the gradient. In a low (2.5–10.5 kPa) dissolved oxygen gradient, both unfed and fed crabs preferred the highest oxygen regime. In the laboratory, crabs were less likely to enter hypoxic waters (below 3.2 kPa oxygen) to obtain and consume food; those that did moved the food to a higher oxygen regime prior to feeding and settled in higher oxygen regimes for digestion. Crab behaviour was also monitored in the field. Fed and unfed crabs were fitted with ultrasonic telemetry tags and tracked during a tidal cycle. Unfed crabs remained mobile, travelling up to 1,370 m within 6 h, while postprandial crabs settled in areas of high oxygen and moved very little during the first 48 h after release. The present study suggests that C. magister exhibits behavioural responses in order to minimise the use of physiological mechanisms, and maximise foraging and digestive processes. Thus the nutritional state of the individual may be important in regulating both its behaviour and distribution in its natural environment.