Microplastics; occurrence, levels and implications for environment and human health related to food. Scientific opinion of the Scientific Steering Committee of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment

publishedVersio

Microplastics; occurrence, levels and implications for environment and human health related to food. Opinion of the Steering Committee of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment

Report from the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety (VKM) 2019:16. Microplastics; occurrence, levels and implications for environment and human health related to food. Opinion of the Steering Committee of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment. Source at https://www.vkm.no/. The steering committee of VKM has self-initiated a mandate for an opinion on microplastics based on recently published international and/or national reports complemented with literature from December 2016 to February 2019. The mandate requested a summary of the state of knowledge on the presence of microplastics in the environment and the implications for the ecosystem, terrestrial and aquatic organisms, food production and human health. An overview of main national and international ongoing initiatives was also requested, and highlighting of data gaps where specific Norwegian data was needed

Food and chemical substances relevant for monitoring. Report from the Scientific Steering Committee of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment.

Source at https://vkm.no/At request from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (NFSA), VKM has identified food groups and food items consumed by the Norwegian population that are relevant for monitoring regarding content of one or more undesirable chemical substances (Figure 1). Undesirable chemical substances were defined as chemical substances in food that may constitute a potential health risk. VKM has created a knowledge base (an Excel file) as a tool for planning and prioritising monitoring of foods and undesirable chemical substances. The substance groups included in the knowledge base are flavourings, food additives, metals and metalloids, natural toxins, persistent organic pollutants, process-induced contaminants, substances in food contact materials, substances in food supplements, and trace elements. More than 40 different substances were included

Food and chemical substances relevant for monitoring. Report from the Scientific Steering Committee of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment.

publishedVersio

Intracellular growth of Mycobacterium avium subspecies and global transcriptional responses in human macrophages after infection

Background Mycobacterium avium subsp. avium (Maa) and M. avium subsp. hominissuis (Mah) are environmental mycobacteria and significant opportunistic pathogens. Mycobacterium avium infections in humans and pigs are mainly due to Mah. It is not known whether this is caused by a difference in virulence or difference in exposure to the two subspecies. The aim of the present study was to investigate the ability of the M. avium subspecies to replicate intracellularly and to characterise the gene expression program triggered by infection of human primary macrophages. Results All isolates were able to invade and persist within human macrophages. However, intracellular replication was only evident in cells infected with the two Maa isolates. Transcriptional responses to the isolates were characterized by upregulation of genes involved in apoptosis, immune- and inflammatory response, signal transduction and NF-kB signaling, cell proliferation and T-cell activation. Although similar pathways and networks were perturbed by the different isolates, the response to the Maa subspecies was exaggerated, and there was evidence of increased activation of type I and II interferon signaling pathways. Conclusion Mycobacterium avium isolates of different genetic characteristics invaded monocytes and induced different degree of macrophage activation. Isolates of Maa were able to replicate intracellularly suggesting that differences in exposure, uptake or induction of adaptive immunity are more likely explanations for the difference in prevalence between M. avium subspecies

Microplastics; occurrence, levels and implications for environment and human health related to food. Scientific opinion of the Scientific Steering Committee of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment

publishedVersio

Microplastics; occurrence, levels and implications for environment and human health related to food. Scientific opinion of the Scientific Steering Committee of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment

Summary The steering committee of VKM has self-initiated a mandate for an opinion on microplastics based on recently published international and/or national reports complemented with literature from December 2016 to February 2019. The mandate requested a summary of the state of knowledge on the presence of microplastics in the environment and the implications for the ecosystem, terrestrial and aquatic organisms, food production and human health. An overview of main national and international ongoing initiatives was also requested, and highlighting of data gaps where specific Norwegian data was needed. VKM appointed a working group consisting of two VKM members and eight external experts (two are former VKM-members), in addition to a project leader from the VKM secretariat to write the assessment. Introduction Microplastics are global contaminants and have been ubiquitously detected in water, atmosphere, sediments, soils, sewage sludge, biota, and foodstuff, primarily as a result of degradation and fragmentation of larger plastic debris (secondary microplastics). Fragmentation occurs as plastic debris turns brittle due to weathering, especially as a result of solar photodegradation. Due to a large variation in material composition and environmental conditions, the fragmentation kinetics and processes are poorly understood, so there are no reliable estimates of the time to embrittlement of different types of plastics. Nano- and microplastics originally manufactured to be that size (primary microplastics) contribute to a lesser extent. Plastics contain a mixture of chemicals added during manufacture and may also ab/adsorb and act as vectors for persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic contaminants (PBTs) and microorganisms from the environment. Microplastics have been subject to several recent reviews and risk assessments from international authorities which address both potential environmental and human health effects. (EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM) on the presence of nano- and microplastics in food, with particular focus on seafood in 2016 (Alexander et al., 2016), a technical paper on the status of knowledge on microplastics in fisheries and aquaculture from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (Lusher et al., 2017b), and a scientific perspective on microplastics in nature and society (SAPEA, 2019)).publishedVersio

Microplastics; occurrence, levels and implications for environment and human health related to food. Scientific opinion of the Scientific Steering Committee of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment

publishedVersio