The waste management occupational environment is recognized by the simultaneous presence of several substances and biologic agents. Therefore, workers are exposed simultaneously to multiple contaminants. Occupational exposure to aflatoxin B1 in one Portuguese waste sorting plant was already reported. However, besides this mycotoxin, data regarding fungal contamination showed that exposure to other mycotoxins could be expected. A study was developed to analyze if exposure to other mycotoxins besides aflatoxin B1 was occurring in the workers from the waste sorting plant previously assessed and to discuss how these findings need to be considered in the risk assessment process. In addition to aflatoxin B1 detected previously by ELISA, two additional mycotoxins and one mycotoxin degradation product were detected and quantified by a multi-mycotoxin HPLC-MS/MS approach: Enniatin B and ochratoxin A as well as 2'R-ochratoxin A. Besides the confirmation of co-exposure to several mycotoxins, results probably indicate different exposure routes for the mycotoxins reported.
Keywords: Co-exposure; Food consumption; Mycotoxins; Occupational exposure; Risk assessment.