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In this work, a new microextraction approach termed as vortex-assisted liquid phase microextraction based on deep eutectic solvent (VALPME-DES) combined with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) has been developed for the extraction, preconcentration and determination of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in vegetables and soil samples irrigated with treated sewage from two different regions of Iran. The new DES was prepared by mixing a 1:1 molar ratio of choline chloride and citric acid monohydrate. Some effective parameters on extraction were studied and optimised. Under the optimum conditions, the repeatability and reproducibility of the VALPME-DES coupled with ETAAS for 5.0 µg L−1 of As(III) and 0.50 µg L−1 of Pb and Cd were determined to be 2.7–4.3 and 3.8–6.2%, respectively. The correlation coefficient (r2) of the calibration curves was in the range of 0.995–0.998. The limit of detections was in the range of 0.03 and 0.1 µg kg−1 for different metal ions. Linear range of 0.3 − 100 µg kg−1 for As(III) and, 0.03–200 µg kg−1 for Cd and Pb were obtained. The results showed among the target metals, the highest impact on the total value of non-carcinogenic risk was related to arsenic. Furthermore, the non-carcinogenic risk value for all vegetable types was lower than the permitted level. We also found that the risk of arsenic carcinogenicity was higher than the acceptable levels in all four types of vegetables. According to the findings, interventions to reduce arsenic should be used, especially in cultivated soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, solid-phase extraction (SPE) combined with the dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on novel hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent (DLLME − DES) has been developed as an ultra-pre-concentration technique for the extraction of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in milk-based baby food (MBBF) and infant formula milk (IFM) samples followed by HPLC combined with fluorescence detection (HPLC − FL). In addition, carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk assessment was performed by health-related risk factors including liver cancer risk (LCR), margin of exposure (MOE) and target hazard quotient (THQ) were calculated using the mean of AFM1 in different infant food samples. The results of the study showed that the mean of AFM1 was statistically significant different between various brands and types of IFM and MBBF. The results of the study showed that the percentage of positive samples higher than the allowable limit of AFM1 in 36 samples of domestic infant formula milk (DIFM), 24 samples of imported infant formula milk (IIFM), 36 samples of domestic milk-based baby food (DMBBF) and 18 samples of imported milk-based baby food (IMBBF) were 41.6, 12.5, 66.7 and 33.3%, respectively. In addition, estimated values for health risk-related factors including LCR, MOE and THQ indicated that for most infants less than one-year-old were higher than the acceptable levels. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the quality of IFM and MBBF consumed in Iran in terms of AFM1 is poor. Therefore, it is necessary to take appropriate measures to reduce the amount of AFM1 in DIFM and DMBBF, and in addition, the IIFM and IMBBF should be controlled qualitatively before supplying the market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fried starchy foods have the conditions to produce harmful compounds, such as acrylamide and malondialdehyde (MDA). One of these popular and commonly consumed foods among Iranians is Tah-Dig. This study aimed to evaluate the factors that affect their production and also levels in Tah-Dig. In this cross-sectional study, the information about the cooking pattern and consumption of Tah-Dig was randomly obtained from 611 households in Kermanshah through a dietary pattern questionnaire. Samples were provided by the households were classified according to type (potato, rice and bread) and color (golden, light brown and dark brown). Acrylamide levels were measured by a LC–mass spectrometer, and MDA levels were measured using a barbituric acid kit. More than 77.7% of participants consumed Tah-Dig at least 5 times a week. Potato Tah-Dig had the highest amount of acrylamide (1096 ± 637 ng/g). By changing the color value from golden to dark brown, the amount of acrylamide in all types of Tah-Dig increased significantly (P-value < 0.001). The highest amount of MDA was ascribed to canola oil (1527.89 ± 519.20 ng/L) and the lowest to ghee (546.12 ± 213.43 ng/L), after the Tah-Dig was cooked. No correlation was found between the type of oil and the amount of acrylamide. Tah-Dig is considered a harmful food among Iranian households due to its high consumption frequency and the abundance of acrylamide and MDA. Food and nutrition policymakers should consider teaching the proper cooking ways of such foods to the people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grilling is one of the most traditional ways of cooking foods, especially meat, which can produce a number of carcinogenic compounds. This study was to identify the pattern of kebab consumption and its PAHs among a selection of the Iranian population. Kebab consumption pattern were assessed using a validated questionnaire. A sample of three types of popular kebabs, including Koobideh (minced meat), Barg (crushed meat pieces), and Juje (chopped chicken pieces), was collected from each restaurant and then transferred to a laboratory to measure PAHs. The median benzo[a]pyrene concentrations (7.85 μg/kg) and the sum of benzo[a]pyrene, chrysene, benzo[a]anthracene, and benzo[b]fluoranthene concentrations (15.74 μg/kg) were higher than the maximum level imposed by the Commission of the European Communities. A significant relationship between Barg kebab prepared with charcoal and the amounts of anthracene, benzo[a]anthracene, dibenzo[a,h]pyrene, and benzo[g,h,i]perylene was found. The highest PAHs produced in samples prepared with charcoal was dibenzo[a,h]pyrene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a new solidified deep eutectic solvent microextraction (SDES-ME) method was applied for the speciation of Se(iv), Se(vi) and total inorganic selenium in the blood of children with leukemia from Kermanshah, Iran, prior to analysis by iridium-modified tube graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). Choline chloride–decanoic acid in the molar ratio of 1 : 2 was used as a green hydrophobic deep eutectic-based floating organic droplet microextraction solvent for the extraction of the Se(iv)–DDTP complex from real blood samples. In the SDES-ME, 60 μl of DES as the extraction solvent containing 15.0 μl chelating agent was rapidly injected into the sample solution. Under the optimum conditions, the enrichment factor and enhancement factor were 112 and 99, respectively. The calibration graph was linear in the range of 0.05–5.0 μg l−1 with the detection limit of 0.015 μg l−1. The repeatability (intra-day) and reproducibility (inter-day) of the method based on seven replicate measurements of 2.0 μg l−1 of selenium were 2.2% and 3.5%, respectively. The results showed that there was no significant difference between the levels of selenium in girls and boys, and with increasing age, the selenium blood levels increased in both girls and boys. Moreover, the results showed no significant difference in the selenium levels in cancerous and non-cancerous children. However, in a number of samples, the selenium levels in cancerous children were lower than those in the non-cancerous children probably due to the administration of drugs used in chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to determine common pesticides in raw milk from the industrial cattle houses of Kermanshah region of Iran. A novel, simple, inexpensive, reliable and environmentally friendly method based on continuous sample drop flow microextraction combined with high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection was developed. In this technique, a few microliters of organic solvent is transferred to the bottom of a conical test tube and the aqueous solution in form of fine droplets passes through the organic solvent. At this stage, target analytes are extracted into the organic solvent. After extraction, 20 μL of organic solvent was injected into the analytical instrument. Some effective parameters on extraction were studied and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, the calibration graphs are linear in the range of 1–800 µg/L and limits of detection are in the range of 0.3–1.0 µg/L. Repeatability (intra-day) and reproducibility (inter-day) of the method based on five replicate measurements of 100 µg/L of target pesticides were in the range of 2.7–4.1 and 4.3–7.2%, respectively. The enrichment factors and recoveries are in the range of 308–372 and 77–93%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate abamectin, diazinon and chlorpyrifos in apple from the Mahabad of Iran. The influences of several parameters including shadow and sun, geographical directions and varieties of apples, whether they are golden or red type, was also taken into account on the residuals of the pesticides in the samples. The results indicated that sun considerably decreased the concentrations of diazinon and chlorpyrifos in samples exposed to it. Geographical directions are showed to be non-influential on diazinon while they are influential on chlorpyrifos ones. This can be attributed to pesticide spraying time and prevailing wind direction in Mahabad. The pesticides in golden and red varieties showed no significant relations. The apple samples from Mahabad did not contain any abamectin while they contained residuals of diazinon and chlorpyrifos. In some samples the diazinon and chlorpyrifos were above allowed limit according to World Health Organization (WHO) standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycotoxins, especially aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), should be measured and monitored to ensure the safe consumption of dairy products. This study aims to determine the amount and evaluate the health risk of AFM1 in milk for different age groups in the last two decades in Iran through a systematic review. A systematic search was conducted to extract the required data from June 27, 2000, to October 10, 2022, and 72 papers were eventually chosen for this study based on the study selection criteria. Raw data from obtained studies was inaccessible, so Excel was used to re-simulate the data from each study. Then, from the simulated data, a statistical analysis, health risk assessment, uncertainty, and sensitivity analysis were conducted for the AFM1 of milk for adults and children. The overall average of AFM1 contamination in milk in Iran was 77 ± 159 ng/kg, which is higher than the regulation of the European Union (EU = 50 ng/kg) and below the Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran (ISIRI = 100 ng/kg). The ranking of milk types based on the average concentration of AFM1 was obtained as raw > ultra-high temperature processing (UHT) > pasteurized > government subsidizes milk (GSM) > mixed > sterilized. According to health risk assessment results, the milk produced in Iran in the last two decades in terms of AFM1 has potential carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks. Therefore, it is necessary to pay special attention to continuous monitoring and control systems for milk produced throughout Iran. Due to the limited information regarding AFB1 in animal feeds, it would be important to carry out additional research in monitoring and preventing the dissemination of AFB1 in cattle fodder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is limited information about pesticide contamination in Iran's agricultural land, particularly in plains producing exportable fruits. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the concentration of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) including hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), heptachlor, dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT), chlordane (CHL), and their isomers compounds in agricultural soils of southern Iran. A total of 28 topsoil samples were collected from agricultural lands of Dalaki and Shabankare areas, Bushehr, Iran. In Dalaki area, the mean value of ΣHCH (α, β, γ, δ), ΣDDT (o,p-DDE, o,p-DDD, o,p-DDT, p,p-DDE, p,p-DDD, p,p-DDT, and DDT), and ΣCHL (Trans -chlordane, Cis -chlordane, Heptachlor-exo-epoxide, and Heptachlor) was found to be 0.411 ng/g (dry weight, dw), 4.37 ng/g dw, and 2.04 ng/g dw, respectively. In Shabankare area the mean value of ΣHCH, ΣDDT, and ΣCHL was measured to be 1.38 ng/g dw, 11.99 ng/g dw, and 1.62 ng/g dw, respectively. The concentration trend of pesticides in both areas was as follows: DDT > CHL > HCH. Source identification indicated recent usage of HCH and DDT in the studied areas. Obtaining a cis -chlordane/ trans -chlordane ratio greater than one in Shabankare farmlands showed that chlordane was not used recently. The health risk assessment showed that children and adults groups in both areas are exposed to negligible cancer risk. More serious attempts are necessary to reduce usage of OCPs during the agricultural process and the protection of soil and human health in the studied areas. • Levels of OCPs in the Iranian plains were relatively low in a global perspective. • Levels trend of OCPs in studied areas was as follows: DDT > CHL > HCH. • Chlordane pesticide residue in the Shabankare area was related to its past uses. • Source identification showed recent use of HCH and DDT in the studied plains. • OCPs in Iranian agricultural soils will not pose any health risks to the residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine the acrylamide content in potato chips sold in Kermanshah, Iran and assess the potential health concerns associated with acrylamide exposure. HPLC-DAD was used to analyse 120 samples across 40 brands. The possible non-carcinogenic risk index for adults was below 1 for all 40 brands (100%), but for children it was only below 1 for 9 brands (22.5%) and above 1 for 31 brands (77.5%). Regarding the possible carcinogenic risk index, for adults only 1 out of 40 brands rated > 10 -4 , whereas for children all brands rated > 10 -4 . This shows that children's exposure to acrylamide through potato chips consumption in Kermanshah can be considered a risk on cancer and exposure of adults requires attention and monitoring. The best way to reduce acrylamide in potato chips and associated health risks is to improve the production process, especially temperature and time.

In this study, solid-phase extraction (SPE) combined with the dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction based on novel hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent (DLLME - DES) has been developed as an ultra-pre-concentration technique for the extraction of aflatoxin M 1 (AFM1) in milk-based baby food (MBBF) and infant formula milk (IFM) samples followed by HPLC combined with fluorescence detection (HPLC - FL). In addition, carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk assessment was performed by health-related risk factors including liver cancer risk (LCR), margin of exposure (MOE) and target hazard quotient (THQ) were calculated using the mean of AFM1 in different infant food samples. The results of the study showed that the mean of AFM1 was statistically significant different between various brands and types of IFM and MBBF. The results of the study showed that the percentage of positive samples higher than the allowable limit of AFM1 in 36 samples of domestic infant formula milk (DIFM), 24 samples of imported infant formula milk (IIFM), 36 samples of domestic milk-based baby food (DMBBF) and 18 samples of imported milk-based baby food (IMBBF) were 41.6, 12.5, 66.7 and 33.3%, respectively. In addition, estimated values for health risk-related factors including LCR, MOE and THQ indicated that for most infants less than one-year-old were higher than the acceptable levels. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the quality of IFM and MBBF consumed in Iran in terms of AFM1 is poor. Therefore, it is necessary to take appropriate measures to reduce the amount of AFM1 in DIFM and DMBBF, and in addition, the IIFM and IMBBF should be controlled qualitatively before supplying the market.

Background: Persistent sample circulation microextraction (PSCME) combined with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) was developed as a high pre-concentration technique for the determination of heavy metals in fish species. In this method, a few microliters of organic solvent (40.0 µL carbon tetrachloride) was transferred to the bottom of a conical sample cup. Then 10.0 mL of aqueous solution was transformed to fine droplets while passing through the organic solvent. At this stage, metal-ligand hydrophobic complex was extracted into the organic solvent. After extraction, 20 µL of extraction solvent was injected into the graphite tube using an auto-sampler., Results: Under optimal conditions, enrichment factors and enhancement factor were in the range of 180-240 and 155-214, respectively. The calibration curves were linear in the range of 0.03-200 µg kg -1 and the limits of detection (LODs) were in the range of 0.01-0.05 µg kg -1 . Repeatability (intra-day) and reproducibility (inter-day) for 0.50 µg L -1 Hg and 0.10 µg L -1 Cd and Pb were in the range of 3.1-4.2% (n = 7) and 4.3-6.1% (n = 7), respectively., Conclusion: Potential human health risk assessment was conducted by calculating estimated weekly intake (EWI) of the metals from eating fish and comparison of these values with provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) values. EWI data for the studied metals through fish consumption were lower than the PTWI values. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.)