Health risk assessment of aflatoxin M1 in infant formula milk in IR Iran

In this study, two accurate, precise, selective and sensitive methods were developed for determining aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in infant formula milk using immunoaffinity column clean-up followed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection. The validated methods were used for determination of AFM1 in 29 samples of 6 different infant formula milk brands and the risk of AFM1 in infants aged zero to 6 months old was assessed using cancer risk, Margin of Exposure (MOE) and Hazard Index (HI). Only one sample (3.4) was contaminated with AFM1. Although the results showed that MOE values for the mean and median exposure to AFM1 was <10,000 in infants, the additional cancer risk due to mean and median exposure to AFM1 in infant <6 months were 0.00010 and 0.00012 additional cases per year per 105 individuals, respectively, which indicates no health concern. In addition, HI values for the mean and median exposure to AFM1 for infants were quite below one which indicates no health concern. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on risk assessment of AFM1 in infant formula milk consumed by Iranian infants <6 months old, presenting a low risk for the evaluated groups. © 2020 Elsevier Lt

Occupational exposures and respiratory symptoms and lung function among hairdressers in Iran:a cross-sectional study

Abstract Objective: Exposures at hairdressers’ work have been reported to lead to an increased risk of several health outcomes. The present study aimed to investigate the relations between occupational exposures and respiratory symptoms and lung function among hairdressers in Iran. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study to compare potential respiratory effects among 140 women working as hairdressers to such effects among 140 women working as office workers (administrative personnel). Both groups worked in Shiraz, Iran. Respiratory symptoms were assessed by a standard respiratory questionnaire. The questionnaire also inquired about substances used and workspace conditions, including ventilation type. Lung function levels were measured by spirometry. Results: Respiratory symptoms, including cough, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness were significantly more frequent in hairdressers compared to the reference group (p < 0.05). After controlling for potential confounders, hairdressers had a prevalence ratio (PR) of 2.18 (95% CI 1.26–3.77) for cough, 9.59 (95% CI 1.004–91.73) for wheezing, 2.06 (95% CI 1.25–3.39) for shortness of breath, and 3.31 (95% CI 1.84–5.97) for chest tightness compared to the reference group. Lung function parameters (including VC, FVC, and FEV1) were significantly reduced in hairdressers (p < 0.001). Absence of air conditioning predicted greater reduction in lung function (p < 0.05) in the exposed. Decrease in FVC with normal FEV1/FVC in the exposed group suggested existence of restrictive lung function. Conclusions: This study provides evidence of increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms and restrictive lung function impairment among hairdressers in Iran