Abstract
Mycotoxins, toxins of fungal origin, can directly or indirectly contaminate food and feed and are poisonous to livestock and humans. While a large amount is known about their occurrence in crops, food, and feeds, little is known about mycotoxin amounts in soil. However, soil is known as a major fungal habitat and a potential sink for mycotoxins in the environment. Furthermore, there is neither a reliable detection nor an extraction method for mycotoxins testing in different soil textures or for potential deficits due to aging processes. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to present a reliable extraction and detection method for the simultaneous quantification of the most common mycotoxins, deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEA), via liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). This method was validated with six different samples with different textures and different soil organic matter (SOM). Deuterated standards were used to overcome possible matrix effects. This extraction method could eliminate potential aging processes. The recovery rate was always >80% for DON and >82% for ZEA. The quantification limits were 1 ng per g soil for DON and 0.5 ng per g soil for ZEA.
Highlights
Mycotoxins, secondary metabolites of the soil fungal genera Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium [1], can cause a variety of adverse health effects and pose a serious health threat to humans and livestock [2]
It is assumed that 250,000 deaths per year from hepatocellular carcinomas in China and Sub-Saharan
ZEA (100 ng/mL) were applied directly, and mycotoxin determination was performed in positive ionization mode
Summary
Mycotoxins, secondary metabolites of the soil fungal genera Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium [1], can cause a variety of adverse health effects and pose a serious health threat to humans and livestock [2]. They have the potential to induce both acute and chronic health effects via ingestion, skin contact, inhalation, and entering the blood stream and lymphatic system [2]. Such toxins can form and accumulate on crop residues and, in soil, both prior to and after farming, as well as directly on the crops during harvest and their subsequent drying and storage [2,5]
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