Abstract
Aflatoxin contamination remains one of the most important threats to food safety and human health. Aflatoxins are mainly found in soil, decaying plant material and food storage systems and are particularly abundant during drought stress. Regulations suggest the disposal of aflatoxin-contaminated crops by incorporation into the soil for natural degradation. However, the fate and consequences of aflatoxin in soil and on soil organisms providing essential ecological services remain unclear and could potentially pose a risk to soil health and productivity. The protection of soil biodiversity and ecosystem services are essential for the success of the declared United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. The focus of this study was to investigate the toxicological consequences of aflatoxins to earthworms’ survival, growth, reproduction and genotoxicity under different temperature and moisture conditions. Results indicated an insignificant effect of aflatoxin concentrations between 10 and 100 µg/kg on the survival, growth and reproduction but indicated a concentration-dependent increase in DNA damage at standard testing conditions. However, the interaction of the toxin with different environmental conditions, particularly low moisture, resulted in significantly reduced reproduction rates and increased DNA damage in earthworms.
Highlights
IntroductionFungal toxins (mycotoxins) are often toxic to plants, animals and humans and are a common threat to food safety
Fungal toxins are often toxic to plants, animals and humans and are a common threat to food safety
Results indicated an insignificant effect of aflatoxin concentrations between 10 and 100 μg/kg on the earthworms’ (E. andrei) survival, growth, and reproduction in an OECD soil medium
Summary
Fungal toxins (mycotoxins) are often toxic to plants, animals and humans and are a common threat to food safety. Most countries in the world regulate aflatoxin concentrations in food and feed products. When aflatoxins reach concentrations exceeding the accepted levels, regulations suggest that contaminated food products are discarded by burning or working the material back into the soil for natural degradation [11]. When contaminated crops are worked into the soil, it increases natural concentrations and prolongs the duration of contamination due to the gradual release of the toxin [12]. Increased concentrations can alter the ecological balance, potentially posing a risk to soil health. Mertz et al [3] Accinelli et al [12] Hariprasad et al [4] Rajkumar et al [66]
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