title: The relevance of the food production chain with regard to the population exposure to chemical substances and its role in contaminated sites.
abstract: Food may be contaminated with many chemical substances at any level along the production chain. Chemicals that may be found in food items can simultaneously be present in other matrices, as air, water, soil and dust; therefore, human exposure to chemicals via food has to be summed to the exposure through all the other possible routes. The role played by the food production chain with regard to the population exposure to chemicals assumes amplified proportions when considering contaminated sites. Indeed the link between environment and food production is undeniable and consequently, when population chemical exposure is considered, an integrated approach assessing the contribution of the different routes of exposure, including dietary exposure, is needed. Such integrated approach allows a realistic and comprehensive risk assessment of chemical substances in order to identify and deploy effective prevention and intervention measures to protect human health.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria e Sicurezza Alimentare, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca Romana
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria e Sicurezza Alimentare, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Busani
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria e Sicurezza Alimentare, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tait
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria e Sicurezza Alimentare, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: La Rocca
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D020387:Food Chain; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D064371:Hazardous Waste Sites; D006801:Humans; D018570:Risk Assessment