Probabilistic risk assessment of dietary exposure to aflatoxin B(1) in Guangzhou, China

Aflatoxin B(1) (AFB(1)) contamination in foods is an important health challenge for low-and middle-income countries in subtropical regions. AFB(1) has been detected in a variety of foodsin Guangzhou, while the risk of dietary exposure is unknown. This study aimed to assess the probabilistic risk of dietary exposure to AFB(1) contamination in food stuffs in Guangzhou by using margin of exposure (MOE) and quantitative liver cancer risk approaches. A total of1854 AFB(1)-contaminated foodstuffs were sampled in supermarkets, agricultural markets, retail shops, and family workshops from 11 districts of Guangzhou, and AFB(1) content was determined by HPLC-fluorescence detector. In total, 9.9% (184/1854) of the test samples had AFB(1) concentrations above the limit of detection. Home-made peanut oil had the highest AFB(1) concentration, with a mean value of 38.74 ± 47.45 μg kg(−1). The average MOE levels of Guangzhou residents ranged from 100 to 1000. The risk of liver cancer was 0.0264 cancers (100,000 population year)(−1). The health risks of suburban people were higher than those of urban people, and home-made peanut oil was the main contributorto dietary exposure to AFB(1) among suburban residents in Guangzhou. The production of home-made peanut oil should be supervised to reduce the risk of AFB(1) exposure.