Schadelijke stoffen bij branden in relatie tot zuivel : Factsheets en handelingsperspectieven

Fires occur regularly and can occur near a dairy farm. It is important for both the dairy farmer and the dairy company that collects the milk to know what actions can be taken to prevent food safety issues as a result of a fire. The aim of this research was to prepare informational fact sheets that can be used by dairy farmers and dairy companies to take measures to enhance the safety of milk (products). A wide range of substances can be released during a fire. Based on the available knowledge about fires, an overview has been made of the substances that are relevant for the dairy supply chain. With almost any fire, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are released. However, these substances are hardly transferred to the milk. Dioxins can be released if chlorine-containing compounds are present during a fire, for example, when polyvinyl chloride (PVC), additives in plastics, electrical devices, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) containing paints/coatings, PCB oils (e.g. present in old transformers), solvents and pesticides with chlorine-containing compounds, or wood impregnated with chlorophenol are combusted. Dioxins are taken up by the cow and can be excreted via the milk. For the dairy supply chain, dioxins are thus the most relevant substances that may be released during a fire. Brominated flame retardants are used in industrial and consumer products such as furniture, upholstery, clothing, electronics, and cars. If these components are present in a fire, brominated dioxins may be formed that have characteristics similar to chlorinated dioxins. In addition, heavy metals such as lead, zinc, copper, and cadmium can be released during a fire. These primarily accumulate in the cow’s liver and kidney and are hardly excreted via the milk. Perfluorinated compounds can sometimes still be present in firefighting foams and via ditchwater can contaminate the pasture and drinking water of cows. Some perfluors are excreted via milk. Besides substances that are relevant for the dairy supply chain, there are also substances that may be released during a fire which are harmful to the dairy farmer. For example, asbestos may be released if buildings dated before 1993 contain asbestos-containing materials (such as corrugated sheets and roof boarding) catch fire. However, a single exposure to asbestos does not directly pose a danger to human health. When batteries are involved in a fire, harmful substances such as fluoride gas and hydrochloric acid can be released. These substances are very harmful to human health and measures are needed to prevent exposure. Based on the information gathered regarding the relevant substances that can be released during a fire, courses of action are proposed for both the dairy company and the dairy farmer. In the cold phase (before a fire breaks out), it is recommended to inventorise the types of companies that surround the dairy farm so that it is possible to estimate which substances may be released during a fire. When a fire occurs, the instructions from the authorities concerned is the first thing that should be followed. Furthermore, the guideline is that if the fire is within 3 km of a downwind dairy farm, it is advisable to put the cows in the stable and to cover the silage. This is especially relevant when dioxin formation is suspected. In consultation with the dairy company, it can be decided to collect the milk separately and carry out analyses on the milk and/or the grass. Courses of action for both the dairy farmer and the dairy company are included in this report

Consumentenperceptie van nanotechnologieën in voedsel en landbouw: een eerste verkenning : eindrapportage

In 2010 is door Wageningen UR (beleidsondersteunend) onderzoek gedaan naar de percepties van Nederlandse consumenten ten aanzien van nanotechnologische toepassingen in voedsel en landbouw. De resultaten van dit onderzoek worden in dit rapport toegelicht

Guideline for making application dossiers for novel proteins; Novel food dossiers: from black box to tool box

This document describes when a new protein intended to market for human consumption is considered to be a novel food protein (novel protein) and when it is not, when an application dossier for authorisation must be made and when, in general, an application dossier for notification might be sufficient. It describes in detail the items to be addressed in these application dossiers and gives references to guidance documents of CAs (competent authorities) and provides examples. It also provides guidelines of what information for each item might consider being sufficient by CAs

Multi-ancestry study of blood lipid levels identifies four loci interacting with physical activity

Many genetic loci affect circulating lipid levels, but it remains unknown whether lifestyle factors, such as physical activity, modify these genetic effects. To identify lipid loci interacting with physical activity, we performed genome-wide analyses of circulating HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in up to 120,979 individuals of European, African, Asian, Hispanic, and Brazilian ancestry, with follow-up of suggestive associations in an additional 131,012 individuals. We find four loci, in/near CLASP1, LHX1, SNTA1, and CNTNAP2, that are associated with circulating lipid levels through interaction with physical activity; higher levels of physical activity enhance the HDL cholesterol-increasing effects of the CLASP1, LHX1, and SNTA1 loci and attenuate the LDL cholesterol- increasing effect of the CNTNAP2 locus. The CLASP1, LHX1, and SNTA1 regions harbor genes linked to muscle function and lipid metabolism. Our results elucidate the role of physical activity interactions in the genetic contribution to blood lipid levels

Multi-ancestry GWAS of the electrocardiographic PR interval identifies 202 loci underlying cardiac conduction

The electrocardiographic PR interval reflects atrioventricular conduction, and is associated with conduction abnormalities, pacemaker implantation, atrial fibrillation (AF), and cardiovascular mortality. Here we report a multi-ancestry (N = 293,051) genome-wide association meta-analysis for the PR interval, discovering 202 loci of which 141 have not previously been reported. Variants at identified loci increase the percentage of heritability explained, from 33.5% to 62.6%. We observe enrichment for cardiac muscle developmental/contractile and cytoskeletal genes, highlighting key regulation processes for atrioventricular conduction. Additionally, 8 loci not previously reported harbor genes underlying inherited arrhythmic syndromes and/or cardiomyopathies suggesting a role for these genes in cardiovascular pathology in the general population. We show that polygenic predisposition to PR interval duration is an endophenotype for cardiovascular disease, including distal conduction disease, AF, and atrioventricular pre-excitation. These findings advance our understanding of the polygenic basis of cardiac conduction, and the genetic relationship between PR interval duration and cardiovascular disease

Genetic insights into resting heart rate and its role in cardiovascular disease.

Resting heart rate is associated with cardiovascular diseases and mortality in observational and Mendelian randomization studies. The aims of this study are to extend the number of resting heart rate associated genetic variants and to obtain further insights in resting heart rate biology and its clinical consequences. A genome-wide meta-analysis of 100 studies in up to 835,465 individuals reveals 493 independent genetic variants in 352 loci, including 68 genetic variants outside previously identified resting heart rate associated loci. We prioritize 670 genes and in silico annotations point to their enrichment in cardiomyocytes and provide insights in their ECG signature. Two-sample Mendelian randomization analyses indicate that higher genetically predicted resting heart rate increases risk of dilated cardiomyopathy, but decreases risk of developing atrial fibrillation, ischemic stroke, and cardio-embolic stroke. We do not find evidence for a linear or non-linear genetic association between resting heart rate and all-cause mortality in contrast to our previous Mendelian randomization study. Systematic alteration of key differences between the current and previous Mendelian randomization study indicates that the most likely cause of the discrepancy between these studies arises from false positive findings in previous one-sample MR analyses caused by weak-instrument bias at lower P-value thresholds. The results extend our understanding of resting heart rate biology and give additional insights in its role in cardiovascular disease development