Exposure to Aflatoxin M1 through Milk Consumption in Tehran Population, Iran

Milk would be contaminated with Aflatoxin M1 (AFM(1)), if it was obtained from lactating animal which fed with feedstuffs containing Aflatoxin B1 (AFB(1)). AFM(1) is classified as group 2B, possibly carcinogenic to humans and its exposure to AFM(1) through milk consumption is a public concern. The purpose of this study was to determine the AFM(1) exposure through liquid milk consumption for adult consumers in Tehran. Forty-five samples including raw, pasteurized, and UHT milk samples were collected from markets in different cities of Tehran province in January and February 2017. The AFM(1) was determined by HPLC method after immunoaffinity column clean up. Also, the milk intake was calculated using household budget survey. Finally, the daily intake of AFM(1) through milk consumption was estimated using a deterministic approach. From total 45 samples, AFM(1) was detected in 36 (80%) samples, although none of the analyzed samples were exceeded Iran legal limit of 0.1 µg/kg. On the basis of the average milk intake, the mean daily exposure to AFM(1) was estimated between 0.03 ng/ Kg BW per day (lower bound estimate) and 0.06 ng/ Kg BW per day (upper bound estimate) and the 95th percentile daily exposure was calculated at 0.14 ng/ Kg BW per day. According to these values, it should be expected that the adults of Tehran population are not exposed to a significant risk of Hepatocarcinoma associated with AFM(1) intake through milk consumption.