A risk assessment of dietary exposure to ochratoxin A for the Polish population.

The aim of this study was to determine the content of ochratoxin A (OTA) using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in selected food products, in the aspect of consumer health hazards. In the study 473 samples of food products, available on the Silesia market in Poland, were analyzed. For the determination of ochratoxin A in food, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection was used. Almost 22% of the samples were contaminated with ochratoxin A. The highest concentration of OTA was determined in raisins (34.0 µg/kg), which exceeds the permissible level 3.5 times. In one of the analyzed rye flour samples ochratoxin A was determined at level 19.5 µg/kg, where the maximum level is 3 µg/kg. For the general population, there is a risk of exposure to ochratoxin A from food, which justifies the need to monitor the quality of products for mycotoxin contamination.

Is the soil quality monitoring an effective tool in consumers' protection of agricultural crops from cadmium soil contamination?-a case of the Silesia region (Poland).

The monitoring of soil quality should be a control tool used to reduce the adverse health effects arising from exposure to toxic chemicals in soil through cultivated crop absorption. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the monitoring and control system of soil quality in Poland, in terms of consumer safety, for agricultural plants cultivated in areas with known serious cadmium contamination, such as Silesia Province. To achieve the objective, the contents of cadmium in soils and vegetables in the Silesia administrative area were examined. The obtained results were compared with the results of soil contamination from the quality monitoring of arable soil in Poland. The studies show a significant exceedance of the permissible values of cadmium in soil samples and the vegetables cultivated on that soil. The threat to consumer health is a valid concern, although this threat was not indicated by the results of the national monitoring of soil quality. The results indicated an unequal distribution of risk to consumers resulting from contaminated soil. Moreover, the monitoring systems should be designed at the local or regional scale to guarantee the safety of consumers of edible plants cultivated in the areas contaminated with cadmium.

Preliminary study of possible relationships between exposure to PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs in ambient air and the length of life of people.

There is a lack of studies on the impact of very toxic and persistent organic compounds as polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on the population life expectancy. Preliminary studies on the relations between exposure to PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs in ambient air and the length of life of residents of 12 cities (2 million people) in the Silesia province has been undertaken. The average length of life of inhabitants in 12 cities of Silesia province was calculated on the basis of register of deaths after excluding deaths caused by external causes and the concentration of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs were measured. The studies have shown that inhalation exposure to dioxins, furans and dl-PCBs could be an important factor which may shorten the life expectancy of the population. The results of preliminary studies indicate a strong correlation between the concentration of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs in the ambient air and the length of life of women. The conducted analysis of the regression shows that reduction of chlorinated persistent organic compounds of 10fg I-TEQ/m3 could extend life expectancy of women by approximately 4months (0.3years).

Cadmium in edible plants from Silesia, Poland, and its implications for health risk in populations.

The health risk associated with cadmium exposure through consumption of edible plants cultivated in different parts of the Silesia administration area inhabitants has been estimated. The impact of the arable soils acidity on the BCF (bioconcentration factor) has been also analyzed. The concentration of cadmium in arable soils and in 118 samples of vegetables - carrots, beets, potato, celery (tuber), parsley (root) were determined. The cadmium content in examined soil samples were in the range from >0.5-68.5mgkg-1 d.w. The most contaminated samples, above the maximum permissible concentration, originated from the central part of the region. The highest BCF value in case of parsley roots and carrots has been shown (0.941 and 0.828 respectively). Significant correlation between soil pH and BCF in examined edible plants has been demonstrated. In the exposure scenario, which assumes the consumption of the most contaminated vegetables from Silesia administration area, the value of the hazard quotient (HQ) for Cd was 2.56. On the contaminated arable soils from the central part of Silesia administration area the non-edible plants should be cultivated. In case of acidic and slightly acidic pH-range of arable soils, some methods of metals immobilization in soil are recommended e.g. liming.

Long-term exposure to urban air pollution and the relationship with life expectancy in cohort of 3.5 million people in Silesia.

Air pollution is considered to be one of the most important environmental health determinants. The studies constitute an attempt to explain the role of air pollutants in the impact on the length of life of the 3.5 million people living in the cities of the Silesia province in Poland. The association between the long-term inhalation exposure to PM10, benzo(a)pyrene, cadmium and lead in the period from 1989 to 2008 and length of life in the year 2014 of the inhabitants of 19 cities of the Silesia province has been estimated. The Pearson linear regression method was applied to calculate the relation between exposure to specific pollutants and length of life. In order to determine the influence of the mixture of the pollutants the multiple regression analysis was carried out. The studies have confirmed the significant correlations between the chronic exposure of Silesia province residents to PM10 and benzo(a)pyrene and their length of life. The stronger correlation was demonstrated in case of the long-term exposure to the mixture of examined air pollutants. Differentiated exposure of the inhabitants of the Silesia province to air pollutants results in existing inequalities in the life expectancy of men and women among the cities.

Inhalation Exposure to Dioxins and dl-PCBs Depending on the Season in Upper Silesia, Poland: A Pilot Study.

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the seasonal fluctuation of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs levels in the ambient air of Upper Silesia in the aspect of human inhalation exposure as well as the estimation of health risk attributed to this exposure pathway to dioxins and dl-PCBs. METHODS: In the study air samples were taken in five urban districts of Upper Silesia, Poland, where the houses are heated with coal. The same sampling points in summer and winter were analyzed for dioxins/furans and dl-PCBs. In addition, information was collected on awareness of the residents about the co-incineration of plastic waste and effects of this activity on human health. RESULTS: The results show that the average daily exposure of residents of Upper Silesia to TCDD and DLCs in the heating season was about 6.5.-fold higher than in summer. The risk assessment showed that expected excess of cancer cases per 1,000,000 people ranged from 4.5 to 13.2 in winter and from 0.9 to 2.1 in summer. The practice of mixing waste with coal for houses heating has been confirmed by investigated families, who do not associate it with the possibility of negative health effects. CONCLUSIONS: Air pollution can be a significant source of dioxin and dl-PCB for people during the winter season, as a result of co-burning coal and waste containing plastics. The dose of dioxins inhaled through the respiratory pathway in winter can be associated with the higher cancer risk in the population of Upper Silesia.

Contamination of food crops grown on soils with elevated heavy metals content.

The exposure of inhabitants from 13 cities of The Upper Silesia Industrial Region to cadmium and lead has been estimated on the basis of heavy metals content in commonly consumed vegetables. The samples were collected from agricultural fields, allotments and home gardens in these cities. Cadmium and lead concentrations in samples of soil and vegetables - cabbage, carrots and potatoes were determined. High content of heavy metals in the arable layer of soil in Upper Silesia (max. 48.8 and 2470mgkg(-1) d.w. for Cd and Pb, respectively) explained high Cd and Pb concentrations in locally cultivated vegetables which are well above the permissible level. Three exposure scenarios with different concentrations of Pb and Cd in vegetables were taken into consideration. In the Scenario I where the content of heavy metals was equal to maximum permissible level, the value of hazard quotient (HQ) for Pb and Cd was 0.530 and 0.704, respectively. In the scenarios where were assumed consumption of contaminated vegetables from Upper Silesia the value of hazard quotient (HQ) for Pb and Cd was 0.755 and 1.337 for Scenario II and 1.806 and 4.542 for Scenario III. The study showed that consumption of vegetables cultivated in Upper Silesia Region on the agricultural fields, allotments and in home gardens may pose a significant health risk.

Environmentally related diseases and the possibility of valuation of their social costs.

The risks of the morbidity of the asbestos-related lung cancer was estimated in the general population of Poles as the result of increased exposure to asbestos fibers during the removal of asbestos-cement products and the possibility of the valuation of the social costs related to this risk. The prediction of the new incidences was made using linear regression model. The forecast shows that to the end of 2030 about 3,500 new cases of lung cancer can be expected as a result of occupational exposure to asbestos in the past which makes together with paraoccupational exposure about 14.000 new cases. The forecast shows the increasing number of asbestos-related lung cancer in Poland and indicates the priority areas where preventive action should be implemented.

Environmental risks perception--a study of the awareness of families to threats in areas with increased health disorders in children.

INTRODUCTION: Children are at greater risk than adults to experience adverse effects from environmental agents. Significant neurological damage to children can occur even at very low levels of exposure. Reliable protection of children living in areas with high environmental hazards is not possible without their parent's' understanding of where, how and why children's exposures occur. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the presented study was to indicate families' awareness of environmental risks with increased health disorders in children in the chosen area of the Silesian Province. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rates of development disorders in general, including physical and psychomotor development disorders, in a population of children from the study area were estimated. A questionnaire was used in order to explore through a door-to-door survey the perceptions of environmental risk in a population of 2,491 residents. RESULTS: The presented study shows that the parents' awareness of environmental health risks is not satisfactory. The majority expressed an opinion that the outdoor environment exerts a major influence upon the state of health, but less than 1% of the parents were aware of the indoor environmental risk. CONCLUSION: The most effective way to prevent children's exposure is to teach the community to identify environmental threats and educate them on how to their protect children. The appropriate policies and programmes should be developed and implemented as this seems to be the most effective and cheapest way to prevent children's exposure to environmental risks.

Risk assessment and risk communication in environmental health in Poland.

Efficient prevention activities can reduce disease, caused by environmental factors as well as costs to the health-care system, but it is impossible without understanding by the society of when, where, how and why exposures occur. Physicians and other health-care professionals may have an important role to play in communication of these potential dangers as the public requires information from knowledgeable and trusted sources about environmental risks and methods to avoid them. Epidemiological study in Poland shows that the health risk awareness in the society is not satisfactory and improvement of communication processes is essential to reduce individual risk factors.

Study of the health effects of long-term exposure to cadmium and lead in a region of Poland.

A region in Poland with a high concentration of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) was used as a case study to look for the potential health consequences of chronic cadmium and lead exposure. The analysis of the incidence of cardiovascular diseases and neoplasms mortality were carried out and the mortality using SDR (standardized death rate) were compared with Cd and Pb pollution in each of 13 cities. To estimate the association between health effect and the pollutant concentration, the linear regression method was used. On the basis of calculated regression, the magnitude of changes in the health state has been estimated assuming that the ambient air pollution decrease is 10%. The reduction of the concentrations of both heavy metals in the air will lower SDR, by 24.4 and 31.6 people for cadmium and lead, respectively.