Bioavailability and bioaccessibility of pesticides and legacy pollutants in food: a public health risk assessment and creation of a risk-benefit tool for Brazilian consumers

• Grant number: 22/06443-0
• Support Opportunities: Generation Project Research Grant
• Start date: September 01, 2023
• End date: August 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Pharmacy - Toxicological Analysis
• Principal Investigator: Marília Cristina Oliveira Souza
• Grantee: Marília Cristina Oliveira Souza
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Bruno Alves Rocha ; Fernando Barbosa Júnior ; Jonas Augusto Rizzato Paschoal ; Jose Luis Domingo ; Lusânia Maria Greggi Antunes ; Maria Fernanda Hornos Carneiro ; Martí Nadal ; Nieves González Paradell
• Associated scholarship(s): 25/03026-8 - Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in coffee: Occurrence, estimation of exposure dose, and characterization of risk to human health, BP.IC; 25/03141-1 - Bioavailability and bioaccessibility of pesticides and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in food, BP.TT; 25/00611-7 - Determination of Glyphosate and Aminomethylphosphonic Acid (AMPA) in Grains in Brazil: Integration of Bioaccessibility Studies with Risk Assessment for Human Health, BP.MS; + associated scholarships 24/21510-1 - Sample pre-treatment and preparation for analysis of pollutants in food, BP.IC; 24/09072-9 - Bioavailability and bioaccessibility of pesticides and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in food, BP.TT; 24/03034-8 - Current-Use Pesticides (CUPs) in foods with high water content: Occurrence, estimation of exposure dose, and characterization of risk to human health, BP.IC; 24/03041-4 - Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in coffee: Occurrence, estimation of exposure dose, and characterization of risk to human health, BP.IC; 23/11634-2 - Bioavailability and bioaccessibility of pesticides and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in food: a public health risk assessment and creation of a risk-benefit tool for Brazilian consumers, BP.GR - associated scholarships

Abstract

Over the years, the potential increase in industrialization, agriculture, and animal production has occurred to meet the growing demand for food due to the population size increases in the world. However, this increase generally is not associated with providing consumers with food free from pollutants. In Brazil, agriculture is an economic pillar that has experienced exponential growth in recent years. Pesticides, such as glyphosate, 2,4-D, and atrazine, constitute an important factor for the viability of this great agricultural productivity; however, they make the country one of the world's largest pesticide consumers. Pesticide residues and legacy environmental pollutants, like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are often detected in food, and they are of concern for both human and environmental health. Pesticides are routinely applied to plants to control pests and to improve crop yields. Meanwhile, food processing may contaminate PAHs, which are produced by the incomplete combustion of organic material, and PFAS are ubiquitous in everyday life since they are widely used in food packaging and water-repellent products like "Teflon." In this sense, the adoption of programs for the systematic evaluation of the chemical composition of food that makes up the basic diet of a given population is of fundamental importance to ensure food security. Worldwide, developing toxicological reference values in food is an area of ongoing scientific research. However, in Brazil, this data is scarce. Human exposure to these chemicals reflects the combined exposure through several pathways. Many studies have shown that oral ingestion is an important pathway for many organic pollutants. However, most studies that evaluate human exposure to pollutants through oral ingestion did not consider the complex absorption processes in the gastrointestinal tract, absolute bioavailability, or relative bioavailability. Therefore, omitting the absorption factor would overestimate human exposure and the associated health risks. In this context, both bioavailability and bioaccessibility assessments aim to provide a more realistic health risk assessment by measuring the portion of a certain substance released from food through digestion. After that, it is possible to estimate the daily intake of pollutants ingested by the populations. Through these results, public health authorities can guide food industries in developing new products and support policies to protect the environment and biodiversity. According to this, the present proposal's main objective is to determine the pesticide, PAH, and PFAS levels in food in Brazil's five regions and assess the human bioavailability and bioaccessibility of these organic pollutants through in vivo and in vitro approaches. Furthermore, the estimated exposure doses of those chemicals by Brazilians through food ingestion and the risk assessment of these exposures will be calculated. The present study intends to meet a need in Brazil to guarantee the food safety of our population through extensive knowledge of the quality of the food consumed concerning environmental pollutants, as well as to provide subsidies for future public health programs in the toxicological scope. (AU)

Scientific publications

(10)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

CESILA, CIBELE APARECIDA; SOUZA, MARILIA CRISTINA OLIVEIRA; CRUZ, JONAS CARNEIRO; BOCATO, MARIANA ZUCCHERATO; CAMPIGLIA, ANDRES DOBAL; BARBOSA, FERNANDO. Biomonitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Brazilian pregnant women: Urinary levels and health risk assessment. Environmental Research, v. 235, p. 10-pg., 2023-10-15. (19/07161-6, 22/06443-0, 18/24069-3)

SOUZA, MARILIA CRISTINA OLIVEIRA; GONZALEZ, NEUS; ROVIRA, JOAQUIM; HERRERO, MARTA; MARQUES, MONTSE; NADAL, MARTI; BARBOSA JR, FERNANDO; DOMINGO, JOSE LUIS. Assessment of urinary aromatic amines in Brazilian pregnant women and association with DNA damage: Influence of genetic diversity, lifestyle, and environmental and socioeconomic factors. Environmental Pollution, v. 335, p. 8-pg., 2023-10-15. (19/07161-6, 21/07994-8, 22/06443-0)

CEZARETTE, GABRIEL NEVES; SOUZA, MARILIA CRISTINA OLIVEIRA; ROCHA, BRUNO ALVES; GONZALEZ, NEUS; NADAL, MARTI; DOMINGO, JOSE L.; BARBOSA, FERNANDO. Levels and health risk assessment of twenty-one current-use pesticides in urban and riverside waters of the Brazilian Amazon Basin. Environmental Research, v. 252, p. 8-pg., 2024-05-04. (18/24069-3, 21/07994-8, 23/11634-2, 19/07161-6, 22/06443-0)

KUNIOKA, CARLOS TADASHI; CRUZ, JONAS CARNEIRO; SOUZA, VANESSA CRISTINA DE OLIVEIRA; ROCHA, BRUNO ALVES; BARBOSA JR, FERNANDO; BELO, LUIS; MANSO, MARIA CONCEICAO; CARVALHO, MARCIA. Low-Level Environmental Cadmium Exposure and Its Effects on Renal and Bone Health in Brazilian Postmenopausal Women: A Cross-Sectional Study. EXPOSURE AND HEALTH, v. N/A, p. 15-pg., 2025-06-13. (21/05059-0, 18/24069-3, 22/06443-0, 23/12363-2, 23/03654-3)

SOUZA, MARILIA CRISTINA OLIVEIRA; ROCHA, BRUNO ALVES; CRUZ, JONAS CARNEIRO; PALIR, NEZA; CAMPIGLIA, ANDRES DOBAL; DOMINGO, JOSE L.; BARBOSA, FERNANDO. Risk characterization of human exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in vulnerable groups. Science of The Total Environment, v. 892, p. 6-pg., 2023-06-02. (19/07161-6, 22/06443-0, 18/24069-3)

GONZALEZ, NEUS; SOUZA, MARILIA CRISTINA OLIVEIRA; CEZARETTE, GABRIEL NEVES; ROCHA, BRUNO ALVES; DEVOZ, PAULA PICOLI; DOS SANTOS, LUCAS CASSULATTI; BARCELOS, GUSTAVO RAFAEL MAZZARON; NADAL, MARTI; DOMINGO, JOSE L.; BARBOSA, FERNANDO, JR.. Evaluation of exposure to multiple organic pollutants in riparian communities of the Brazilian Amazon: Screening levels and potential health risks. Science of The Total Environment, v. 908, p. 13-pg., 2023-11-08. (18/24069-3, 21/07994-8, 23/11634-2, 19/07161-6, 22/06443-0)

SOUZA, MARILIA CRISTINA OLIVEIRA; SOUZA, JULIANA MARIA OLIVEIRA; DA COSTA, BRUNO RUIZ BRANDAO; GONZALEZ, NEUS; ROCHA, BRUNO ALVES; CRUZ, JONAS CARNEIRO; GUIDA, YAGO; SOUZA, VANESSA CRISTINA OLIVEIRA; NADAL, MARTI; DOMINGO, JOSE L.; et al. Levels of organic pollutants and metals/metalloids in infant formula marketed in Brazil: Risks to early-life health. Food Research International, v. 174, p. 12-pg., 2023-10-27. (18/24069-3, 21/07994-8, 19/07161-6, 22/06443-0, 23/03654-3)

PAULELLI, ANA CAROLINA CAVALHEIRO; CRUZ, JONAS CARNEIRO; ROCHA, BRUNO ALVES; SOUZA, MARILIA CRISTINA OLIVEIRA; DE OLIVEIRA, SILVANA RUELLA; CESILA, CIBELE APARECIDA; DEVOZ, PAULA PICOLI; PEDREIRA FILHO, WALTER DOS REIS; DE CAMPOS, MONICA SOARES; DOMINGO, JOSE L.; et al. Association between urinary concentrations of toxic metals/metalloids and oxidative stress in Brazilians living in areas affected by the Fundao dam failure. Environmental Research, v. 238, p. 6-pg., 2023-10-04. (18/24069-3, 21/07994-8, 19/07161-6, 22/06443-0, 23/03654-3)

KUNIOKA, CARLOS TADASHI; SOUZA, VANESSA CRISTINA DE OLIVEIRA; ROCHA, BRUNO ALVES; BARBOSA JUNIOR, FERNANDO; BELO, LUIS; MANSO, MARIA CONCEICAO; CARVALHO, MARCIA. Association of Urinary Cadmium and Antimony with Osteoporosis Risk in Postmenopausal Brazilian Women: Insights from a 20 Metal(loid) Biomonitoring Study. TOXICS, v. 13, n. 6, p. 16-pg., 2025-06-10. (21/05059-0, 18/24069-3, 22/06443-0, 23/12363-2, 23/03654-3)

FERREIRA AZEVEDO, LARA; DE SOUZA ROCHA, CECILIA CRISTINA; SOUZA, MARILIA CRISTINA OLIVEIRA; MACHADO, ANA RITA THOMAZELA; DEVOZ, PAULA PICOLI; ROCHA, BRUNO ALVES; ANTUNES, LUSANIA MARIA GREGGI; URIBE-ROMO, FERNANDO J.; CAMPIGLIA, ANDRES D.; BARBOSA JR, FERNANDO. High molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (HMW-PAH) isomers: unveiling distinct toxic effects from cytotoxicity to oxidative stress-induced DNA damage. ARCHIVES OF TOXICOLOGY, v. N/A, p. 9-pg., 2024-11-29. (19/07161-6, 18/24069-3, 18/19554-0, 22/06443-0)