PCDD/PCDF,chlorinated pesticides and PAH in Chinese teas

Four samples of Chinese tea (two green teas, and two brick teas) were analyzed for their concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDF), chlorinated pesticides and PAH. The infusions prepared from these teas were also analyzed for PCDD/PCDF. The levels of DDT and its metabolites in tea leaves were within the safety limit of 0.2 mg/kg. Rather high levels of total PAH were obtained in brick tea (1048–1162 mg/kg), when compared with green tea (497–517 mg/kg). In terms of PCDD/PCDF, the concentrations of green tea and brick tea differed by a factor of 16, while the concentrations of all infusions were within a factor of 2. The dioxin concentrations in green tea leaves can be explained through uptake of atmospheric PCDD/PCDF. The higher concentrations in the brick tea leaves are due the longer exposure time, and to certain extent, the use of old leaves, branches and roots when making the tea, and additional components such as soil particulates through contamination. Certain Chinese populations drinking a large amount of brick tea (>3 l per day) indicated that individuals of these populations consume more tea than Europeans or North Americans result in a comparably higher intake of PCDD/PCDF. Tea consumption can attribute to up to 10% of the TDI recommended by WHO (only PCDD/PCDF considered, no PCB analyzed).     

Trust,Food, and Health. Questions of Trust at the Interface between Food and Health

The food sector and health sector become more and more intertwined. This raises many possibilities, but also questions. One of them is the question of what the implication is for public trust in food and health issues. In this article, I argue that the products on the interface between food and health entails some serious questions of trust. Trust in food products and medical products is often based upon a long history of rather clear patterns of mutual expectations, yet these expectations are not similar in both sectors. As long as the food sector and health sector remain distinct, these differences will not lead to problems of trust, yet when new products are introduced, like functional foods or personalized dietary advices, trust can be threatened. To prevent this, we need clarity with regard to what we can expect of these new products and of whom to expect what in this situation. This requires not␣only adequate information on operating procedures, but also a profound debate␣on responsibilities and the explication and interpretation of moral values and norms.     

Ethical Issues Related to Food Sector Evolution in Developing Countries: About Sustainability and Equity

After a century of major technicaladvance, essentially achieved by and for theindustrialized countries, the evolution of thefood sector in southern countries should nolonger be thought of in terms of a ``headlongpursuit.'' In the present context of demographicgrowth, urbanization, poverty and disparities,environmental degradation, and globalization oftrade, new priorities have emerged, and newethical questions have been raised, mainlyrelated to sustainability and equity. Thispaper analyses these ethical concerns in thefollowing terms: can the model of food sectordevelopment initiated by the industrializedcountries be applied to the entire world on asustainable and equitable basis, given theeffects of this development with regard to theenergy consumed, the changes in dietarybehavior and related nutritional problems, thenew demands in terms of food safety, thequestions of biodiversity, ownership ofknowledge, cultural identities, gender issues,and Man's relationship to food and Nature?     

Baseline Study on Essential and Trace Elements in Polished Rice from South Korea

In 2000, 63 (polished) white rice samples were collected in eight administrative areas all over South Korea and analyzed for 16 elements by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Potassium had the highest content, next to Mg, Ca, Si, Zn, Na, Al and Fe. Most of the samples contained worldwide average concentrations of essential and trace elements in rice grains reported by various researches. For inter-area differences in those elements in the rice, the statistical analysis showed no significant differences (p > 0.05) among the eight administrative areas, suggesting that inter-area differences were not substantial in most cases. Thus, the present data can be used as national background levels of elements in rice produced in South Korea. Using the published data on daily consumption of rice in South Korea, it was possible to estimate the daily intake of As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn via rice. The results showed that a regular consumption of rice produced in Korea plays an important role in accumulation of essential and trace elements in Korean, especially for farm-households consuming relatively large amounts of rice.     

总N—亚硝基化合物接触量与胃癌死亡率的生态学相关性

在胃癌高发区福建省长乐县和低发区山东省崂山县和随机选择近６０名３５－６４岁男性一，以份饭法收集２４ｈ膳食和１２ｈ尿液，测定总Ｎ－亚硝基人合物（ＴＮＯＣ）含量，计算膳食摄入量和尿中排出量人群日均膳食摄往我为７．０７４．３１μｍｏｌ，低发区为４．０７±３．６７μｍｏｌ，Ｐ〈０．００１；１２ｈ尿中排出量高发区为１１３±０．６１μｍｏｌ，低发区为０．３４±０．２７μｍｏｌ，Ｐ〈０．００１；尿中排出量与膳食     

Dietary habits associated with the presence of organochlorine pesticides in human milk

Abstract

This study aims to establish the relationship between the consumption of certain foods and the presence of organochlorine pesticides in human milk. A total of 167 samples of breastmilk were collected. Sample analysis was carried out by gas chromatography with electron capture detector. Pesticide concentrations (op’DDT, pp’DDT, pp’DDE, Σ-DDT, HCB, β-HCH) were grouped by consumption level of fish, dairy products, meat, eggs, and seafood and then were compared to each other. The odds ratio (OR) was calculated between the concentration of pesticides (higher and/or lower than median) and the exposure variable (high consumption). The results indicated low median concentrations of HCB, β???HCH, op’DDT and pp’DDT, whose fluctuations and trends between different frequencies of food consumption were not significant. pp’DDE and Σ???DDT values according to the increase in consumption of fish were significantly increased. Women with high fish consumption have a higher risk of high concentrations of pp’DDE and Σ-DDT (OR: high consumption: 5.6 (1.3–23.6). A protective effect was observed in the consumption of dairy products (β-HCH and op’DDT), meat (HCB), and seafood (pp’DDT). These results suggest that it is possible that the consumption of fish, dairy products, meat, and seafood influences the presence of organochlorine pesticides in the studied population.     

食物贸易视角下的全球食物供需平衡及其演化分析

用食物供给量与生产量分别表示食物的可及性与自给率,其差值可表示食物贸易量,以人均每天卡路里为单位进行的折算可以更好地反映膳食营养的变化。从食物贸易视角分析了28年来食物供需平衡状况,结果表明:（1）1986—2013年,全球食物贸易量增加1.5倍;食物总产量增加0.75倍,贸易量在总产量中的比例增加约8个百分点,相当于7.9×10⁸ t食物进入国际市场,这成为改善膳食结构的重要因素。（2）28年来,食物可及性与自给率呈上升趋势,全球绝大部分人口已经达到最低2200 kal的营养标准。（3）食物可及性、自给率、贸易量均存在地域差异,非洲及南亚的部分国家是低值地区。（4）总体来看,全球人均每天热量与蛋白质供给量增加。低收入国家增速最快,中等收入国家增速次之,高收入国家增速最慢。但非洲、东南亚等地的一些欠发达国家仍未达到最低的营养标准,全球仍有一部分人处于营养不良状态。     

Qualitative assessment on premature human mortality due to the emission of fine particulate matter from the Matarbari coal power plant

This study reports the probability of increased mortality of people within the political border of Bangladesh due to the emission of fine particulate matter with diameters of 2.5 microns or less (PM_2.5) from the Matarbari coal power plant (MCPP). A Gaussian plume dispersion model has been used for this estimation. The PM_2.5 emission rate data are unavailable as the construction of MCPP is still in its initial stage; therefore, the anticipated PM_2.5 emission rate has been estimated based on data from a number of coal‐fired power plants in India and China. To make this study more meaningful, two different emission rates have been considered representing the best‐case and worst‐case scenarios. In both cases, the intake fraction has been found to be 0.12×10^?2, and the value of relative risk varies between 1.134 and 1.374, respectively. Finally, it is estimated that approximately 11.5 million people inside Bangladesh will be exposed to the PM_2.5 emission from MCPP, and between 7,667 and 17,675 people will experience premature death every year.     

浙江温岭人群暴露参数

以浙江温岭市人群为研究对象,在借鉴美国国家环境保护局(US EPA)暴露参数方法学的基础上,以问卷调查方式进行不同途径下人群呼吸、皮肤、经口等暴露参数的研究.结果表明:研究地区男性、女性的呼吸速率分别为13.95和10.88 m3/d,分别比美国低34.81%和7.80%;男性、女性的体表面积分别为1.89和1.65 m2,分别比美国低3.57%和2.37%.研究地区成人饮水量为3 355.9 mL/d,饮食量为1 288.6 g/d,主要食用米、面及其制品和蔬菜,分别占41.63%和29.50%.如在同等条件下参考美国暴露参数,将会造成呼吸暴露剂量和经口暴露剂量偏小,而皮肤暴露剂量偏高的现象,在对浙江地区人群进行暴露评价和健康风险评价研究时,将会造成2.03%～80.59%的误差.      

Nitrate levels in fresh vegetables and berries from central Japan

Nitrate concentrations in 326 recent vegetables and berries sold in Niigata, located in central Japan, were investigated. Maximum nitrate concentrations of 6600 mg kg^?1 were detected in samples of komatsuna (Brassica campestris var. perviridis) and mizuna (B. campestris L.). Mean concentrations ranged from 4 mg kg^?1(blueberry) to 3500 mg kg^?1 (mizuna). Concentrations in spinach ranged from 10 to 6000 mg kg^?1 (mean 1500 mg kg^?1). Nitrate intake from spinach and Japanese radish (Raphanus sativus) were estimated to be 0.7 and 0.8 mg kg^?1 day^?1, respectively. These values are equivalent to 19% and 23% of the acceptable daily intake (ADI). Nitrate intake at the 90th percentile was estimated to be 1.3 mg kg^?1 day^?1 (35% of the ADI) from spinach and 1.6 mg kg^?1 day^?1 (43% of the ADI) from Japanese radish.