title: Risk assessment and monitoring programme of nitrates through vegetables in the Region of Valencia (Spain).
abstract: This study was carried out to determine current levels of nitrate in vegetables marketed in the Region of Valencia (Spain) and to estimate the toxicological risk associated with their intake. A total of 533 samples of seven vegetable species were studied. Nitrate levels were derived from the Valencia Region monitoring programme carried out from 2009 to 2013 and food consumption levels were taken from the first Valencia Food Consumption Survey, conducted in 2010. The exposure was estimated using a probabilistic approach and two scenarios were assumed for left-censored data: the lower-bound scenario, in which unquantified results (below the limit of quantification) were set to zero and the upper-bound scenario, in which unquantified results were set to the limit of quantification value. The exposure of the Valencia consumers to nitrate through the consumption of vegetable products appears to be relatively low. In the adult population (16-95 years) the P99.9 was 3.13 mg kg-1body weight day-1and 3.15 mg kg-1body weight day-1in the lower bound and upper bound scenario, respectively. On the other hand, for young people (6-15 years) the P99.9 of the exposure was 4.20 mg kg-1body weight day-1and 4.40 mg kg-1body weight day-1in the lower bound and upper bound scenario, respectively. The risk characterisation indicates that, under the upper bound scenario, 0.79% of adults and 1.39% of young people can exceed the Acceptable Daily Intake of nitrate. This percentage could join the vegetable extreme consumers (such as vegetarians) of vegetables. Overall, the estimated exposures to nitrate from vegetables are unlikely to result in appreciable health risks.
authors.affiliation: Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Food Sciences, Toxicology and Forensic Medicine Department, University of Valencia, Av. Vicent Andrés Estellés s/n, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Leyre
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Quijano
authors.affiliation: Food Safety Research Area, Center for Public Health Research (CSISP), FISABIO. Av. Catalunya, 21, 46020, Valencia, Spain; Analytical Chemistry Department, University of Valencia, Av. Vicent Andrés Estellés s/n, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Vicent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Yusà
authors.affiliation: Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Food Sciences, Toxicology and Forensic Medicine Department, University of Valencia, Av. Vicent Andrés Estellés s/n, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Guillermina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Font
authors.affiliation: Food Safety Research Area, Center for Public Health Research (CSISP), FISABIO. Av. Catalunya, 21, 46020, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McAllister
authors.affiliation: Public Health Laboratory of Valencia, Av. Catalunya, 21, 46020, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Concepción
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.affiliation: Food Safety Research Area, Center for Public Health Research (CSISP), FISABIO. Av. Catalunya, 21, 46020, Valencia, Spain; Analytical Chemistry Department, University of Valencia, Av. Vicent Andrés Estellés s/n, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain. Electronic address: olga.pardo@uv.es.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pardo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects*; D002648:Child; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D004032:Diet; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009566:Nitrates / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity*; D019055:No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013030:Spain; D014675:Vegetables / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D009566:Nitrates
keywords: Dietary exposure; Estimated intake; Nitrate; Risk assessment; Vegetables