Human Health Risk Associated with the Consumption of Aflatoxins in Popcorn

Figures & data

Figure 1 Sampling points and survey application of questionnaire in the City of Veracruz, Mexico.

Table 1 Validation Parameters of Basic Aflatoxins and the Hydroxylated Metabolite Aflatoxicol

Aflatoxin	LOD (ng g^−1)	Linearity (Calibration Curves)		Recovery Percentage
		Retention Time (Min)	R^2
AFB1	0.01	7.085–8.849	0.9986	97%
AFB2	0.02	17.452–20.228	0.9819	95%
AFG1	0.05	5.722–5.876	0.9897	93%
AFG2	0.05	11.215–14.513	0.9946	96%
AFL	0.01	3.032–5.569	0.9978	98%

Abbreviations: LOD, limit of detection; R², coefficient of determination; min, minutes.

Table 2 Classification of the Population by Gender and Age on Popcorn Consumption

A. Classification of the Population by Gender, Surveyed on Popcorn Consumption
	Number of People	% of the Surveyed Population
Women	141	56
Men	112	44
Total	253	100
B. Stratification by Age of the Surveyed People on the Consumption of Popcorn
Age (Years)	Number of People	% of the Surveyed Population
<18	13	5
≥ 18 <60	218	86
> 60	22	9
Total	253	100

Table 3 Parameters of the Probability Distribution Function (Normal Log) of the Age of the Consumer Population of the City of Veracruz

Parameters	Age
	Women				Men
	General	˂18	> 18 <60	>60	General	˂18	> 18 <60	>60
Mean	36^a	14^a	33^a	69^a	33^a	16^a	31^a	72^a
Median	30	15	31	69	28	17	28	72
Standard deviation	16	3	12	5	16	2	11	8
P95	70	17	55	76	68	17	55	85
N	141	6	121	14	112	7	97	8

Notes: The same letter “a” in the same age range represent that there is no significant difference between men and women, at a level of significance of 5%.

Table 4 Parameters of the Probability Distribution Function (PDF Log-Normal) Weight (Kg) of the Population

Parameters	Weight (kg)
	Women				Men
	General	<18	> 18 <60	>60	General	<18	> 18 <60	>60
Mean	66^b	52^b	66^b	67^b	73ª	64^a	73ª	79ª
Median	64	53	65	66	72	60	72	78
Standard deviation	12	13	12	10	11	8	10	11
Percentile 95	85	65	90	84	90	76	90	93
N	141	6	121	14	112	7	97	8

Notes: Different letters “a” and “b” are used to differentiate means statistically different at a level of significance of 5%, between the mean weight of men and women, in the same age range.

Table 5 Parameters of the Probability Distribution Function (Normal PDF Log) of the Daily Intake of Popcorn in the City of Veracruz

Parameters	Daily Intake of Popcorn (g/Day)
	Women				Men
	General	<18	˃18 <60	>60	General	<18	˃18 <60	>60
Average (g/day)	21ª	28^a	23ª	5^a	21ª	28^a	22ª	4^a
Median	8	8	8	4	8	13	8	3
Standard deviation	38	5	41	3	30	27	31	5
Percentile 95	85	14	85	9	73	106	77.9	11

Notes: Letter “a” means the average (g/day) represent no significant differences between men and women in the daily intake of popcorn at level of significance of 5%. There is no difference between Average (g/day) women and men for all the age ranges.

Table 6 Concentration and Types of Aflatoxins in Popcorn

Samples	Aflatoxin Concentration (µg kg^−1)
	AFB1	AFB2	AFG1	AFG2	AFL	AFt
1	26	0	46	0	7	79
2	0	0	0	0	19	19
3	0.2	0	0	2	5	7
4	0.4	38	0	28	54	120
5	0	0	0	0	9	9
6	0	0	0	0	14	14
7	12	15	25	0	4	56
8	1	0	2	0	3	6
9	35	0	0	1	0	36
10	15	0	0	4	0.01	19
11	2	0	0	2	18	22
12	0	0	0	0	19	19
13	12	21	0	0	0	33
14	0.3	0	0	2	14	16
15	0	0	0	1	0.4	1
16	0	0	0.1	0.4	2	3
17	0	0	0	0	1	1
18	0	0	0	1	1	2
19	0	0	0	0	1	1
20	0	50	0	1	5	56
21	0	0	0	1	7	8
22	0	0	0.2	0	20	20
23	0	0	0.2	0.3	10	11
24	0	0	0.2	0	14	14
25	0.3	0	0.3	0	10	11
26	0.2	0	0.3	1	12	14
27	1	0	0	2	12	15
28	0	0	0.1	0	13	13
29	3	0	0	0	4	7
30	0	0	0	0	1	1
Average	3.6	4.1	2.5	1.6	9.3	21.1

Note: The fractions < 1 in the AF concentrations are shown depending on the Limit of Detection of each AF.

Abbreviations: AFB_1, aflatoxin B₁; AFB_2, aflatoxin B₂; AFG_1, aflatoxin G₁; AFG_2, aflatoxin G₂; AFL, aflatoxicol; Aft, total aflatoxin.

Table 7 Level of Exposure to Aflatoxins Through the Consumption of Popcorn in the City of Veracruz, Classified by Gender and Age Range of the Consuming Population

Age Range (Years)	Exposure (ng kg^−1 Body Weight/per Say)
	Women	Men
<18	1	3
≥18<60	2	2
> 60	1	0.3

Table 8 Risk of Cancer

A. Calculation of the Risk of Liver Cancer Due to Aflatoxin Exposure Through the Consumption of Popcorn in the City of Veracruz, Classified by Gender and Age Range of the Consuming Population
Age Range (Years)	Risk (Cancers / Year per 100,000 Population)
	Women	Men
<18	0.048^b	0.137^a
≥18<60	0.108^a	0.097^a
> 60	0.024^a	0.016^a
B. Estimated liver Cancer Cases/100,000 Population/Lifetime Years
Age Range (Years)	Women Estimated Liver Cancer Cases/100,000 Population/78 Years	Men Estimated Liver Cancer Cases/100,000 Population/73 Years
<18	4	10
≥18<60	8	7
> 60	2	1

Notes: Different letters “a” and ”b”, in the same age range represent significant differences between men and women, at a level of significance of 5%.