Deoxynivalenol exposure assessment in young children in Tanzania.
METHODS
This study assessed deoxynivalenol (DON) exposure in children from three geographic locations within Tanzania, over three time points in 1 year, using a urinary biomarker of exposure.


RESULTS
A total of 166 children aged 6-14 months were studied at a maize harvest and followed up twice at 6-month intervals. On two consecutive days, morning urine was collected from each child and urinary DON was measured using an LC-MS method, with and without β-glucuronidase hydrolysis in order to assess free DON (fDON) and glucuronide DON. Overall, urinary DON increased significantly along with the three visits (geometric mean 1.1, 2.3, and 5.7 ng/mL, at visits 1, 2, and 3, respectively, p < 0.01). fDON was 22% of urinary total DON. Urinary DON excretion rate was 74% in village Kikelelwa based on food DON level and food consumption. Assuming 360 mL of urine excreted per day, 10, 19, and 29% of children at visits 1, 2, and 3, respectively, exceeded the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake of 1000 ng/kg b.w./day.


CONCLUSIONS
Young children in Tanzania are chronically exposed to DON due to eating contaminated maize, although exposure levels varied markedly by region and season.
School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast, UK; Division of Epidemiology, Leeds Institute of Genetics, Health and Therapeutics, University of Leeds, UK.
Chou
C
Srey
Martin E
ME
Kimanya
Michael N
MN
Routledge
Candida P
CP
Shirima
Yun Yun
YY
Gong
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000652:urine*; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D004032:Diet; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013636:Tanzania; D014255:Trichothecenes / Q000652:urine*; D014886:Weaning; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry
D015415:Biomarkers; D014255:Trichothecenes; D005966:Glucuronidase; C007262:deoxynivalenol
Biomarkers; Children; Deoxynivalenol; Exposure assessment