Background:Birth defects have become the leading cause of death among children, placing a heavy burden on society and families. Various elements from the environment may be associated with birth defects in the fetus, but few prospective studies have investigated the relationship between multiple-element exposure in the first trimester and birth defects. Methods:In this study, 271 cases were matched to 542 controls for age (±2 years) and gestational age (±2 weeks). We measured the concentrations of 17 elements in urine samples collected from pregnant women during the first trimester and used conditional logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). The BKMR model was used to evaluate the correlation between element mixed exposure and birth defects. Results:In the single-metal multivariate model, aluminum (Al), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn) were negatively associated with total birth defects. Restricted cubic splines revealed linear or nonlinear dose-responsive relationships between either Ni or Zn and the risk of birth defects. BKMR results showed that birth defects showed a trend of first slightly rising and then declining; when the element mixture was above the 50th percentile, it was significantly negatively associated with total birth defects. Ni and Zn showed an obvious trend of slight increase and then rapid decrease, indicating that there was a dose-response relationship between these elements and birth defects. There were interactions between Ni and the other five elements. Conclusion:The mixture of high levels of Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, and Zn in urine during the first trimester of pregnancy was related to a reduction in total birth defects. In particular, the influence of Ni and Zn on total birth defects should be considered.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a prevalent food additive, yet comprehensive data on particle size and dietary exposure are lacking in China. Transmission electron microscopy results revealed that the quantitative proportion of nanoparticles (NPs) in food-additive TiO2 was 37.7%, with a mass fraction of 9.89%. Laboratory test results showed that among the domestic products surveyed, candies excluding gum-based candies contained the highest content of TiO2. Using consumption data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey in 2018, the average dietary exposure for TiO2 and TiO2 NPs in the Chinese population were calculated at 34.84 and 3.44 μg/kg bw/day, respectively. The primary dietary sources were puffed food and powdered drinks. Exposure varied significantly across age and region, with children and Inner Mongolia residents having the highest intake. TiO2 NP exposure showed a negative correlation with age. Despite this, the dietary exposure risk of TiO2 NPs for the Chinese population remains deemed acceptable.

Genetically modified microorganism （GMM）， also known as recombinant DNA microorganism， means a micro-organism in which the genetic material has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination. Given the fact that the safety management requirements for GMM and related products used in food industry differ among countries， different countries adopt different regulations. Chinese government attaches great importance to the management of GMM and related products used in food industry， and has successively issued a series of administrative regulations， departmental rules， announcements， and standards. This study systematically reviews the safety management requirements from international organizations and Western countries for GMM and related products used in food industry， and provides reference and experience for the management of relevant risks in China.

Background: The popularity of caffeinated foods and beverages poses risks of high caffeine exposure among Chinese children and adolescents. Nevertheless, there is a lack of national assessments on their caffeine consumption. Objective: To estimate daily caffeine intake and analyze time trends among Chinese children and adolescents. Methods: The study subjects were participants of the China Health and Nutrition Survey in 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2011, and the National Food and Beverage Consumption Survey in 2014 and 2018. Caffeine content was determined using chromatographic instrument. The Monte Carlo simulation was utilized to estimate daily caffeine intake and the Kruskal-Wallis test was used to analyze differences between population characteristics. To examine yearly trends in caffeine intake from 2004 to 2018, the partial Mann-Kendall test was applied. Results: The median daily caffeine intake of Chinese children and adolescents was 0.17 (95%CI: 0.15-0.20) mg/ kg BW/day. Main contributors were tea (55.52%), sodas (19.52%) and tea beverages (10.37%). Approximately 4.68% of individuals consumed caffeine exceeding 2.5 mg/kg BW/day. Higher caffeine intake was observed in adolescents aged 12-17 years, males, and consumers residing in northeastern China. While no significant overall yearly trends in caffeine intake were detected from 2004 to 2018, there was an increase in intake driven by beverage consumption between 2006 and 2014. Conclusion: This study provided a national assessment of caffeine consumption among Chinese children and adolescents. Caffeinated beverages like tea, soda, and tea beverages emerged as major contributors to caffeine intake. These findings could contribute to the regulation of caffeine consumption and the promotion of healthy habits among children and adolescents.

A total of 769 wheat kernels collected from six provinces in China were analyzed for beauvericin (BEA) and four enniatins (ENNs), namely, ENA, ENA1, ENB and ENB1, using a solid phase extraction (SPE) technique with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The results show that the predominant toxin was BEA, which had a maximum of 387.67 μg/kg and an average of 37.69 μg/kg. With regard to ENNs, the prevalence and average concentrations of ENB and ENB1 were higher than those of ENA and ENA1. The geographical distribution of BEA and ENNs varied. Hubei and Shandong exhibited the highest and lowest positive rates of BEA and ENNs (13.46% and 87.5%, respectively). However, no significant difference was observed among these six provinces. There was a co-occurrence of BEA and ENNs, and 42.26% of samples were simultaneously detected with two or more toxins. Moreover, a significant linear correlation in concentrations was observed between the four ENN analogs (r range: 0.75~0.96, p < 0.05). This survey reveals that the contamination and co-contamination of BEA and ENNs in Chinese wheat kernels were very common.

Rare Earth Elements (REEs) have been implicated in potential health effects. However, the health risk of REE exposure among tea drinkers in China remains poorly understood. This study aimed to characterize the concentration of REEs in different tea categories and evaluate the associated health risks for tea consumers in China. By analyzing the content of 16 REEs in 4326 tea samples from China, the exposure level of REEs to the general population was estimated. The content of these 16 REEs was similar across six types of tea, with oolong tea exhibiting the highest levels. The concentration of light rare earth elements (LREEs) in six types of tea was higher than that of heavy rare earth elements (HREEs). The daily mean and 95th percentile (P95) exposure to REEs from tea for the general population in China were 0.0328 μg/kg BW and 0.1283 μg/kg BW, respectively, which are significantly lower than the temporary acceptable daily dose (tADI). Our findings suggest that REEs from tea do not pose a known health risk to Chinese consumers.

The sixth Total Diet Study (TDS) of China included a countrywide study to assess the health effects of MSG (monosodium glutamate). MSG detection, consumption analysis, and risk assessment were conducted on 168 samples from seven food categories of the most typical Chinese daily diet. The highest value of MSG in the daily diet of the Chinese population was 8.63 g/kg. An MSG intake of 17.63 mg/kg bw/d for the general population of China was obtained from content measurements combined with food consumption, while the data from the apparent consumption survey alone gave 40.20 mg/kg bw/d. The apparent consumption did not consider the loss of MSG during food cooking, resulting in an overestimate. To offer a global perspective, MSG content, food category contributions, and ingestion levels across nations were summarized and thoroughly investigated. A realistic, logical, and precise risk assessment protocol for MSG daily intake was developed in this article.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to provide valuable insights into the current state and research trends of clinical trials involving probiotics in infant foods. The analysis of Chinese and English articles sheds light on critical areas for the development of clinical trial guidelines for probiotic use in infant foods in China.MethodsA comprehensive analysis was conducted on journal articles reporting clinical trials of probiotics in infant foods obtained from databases such as PubMed and CNKI. Co-word analysis and cluster analysis were employed to explore research themes and trends.ResultsChinese publications in this field outnumbered English publications by a factor of 10. Italy， China， and the United States were the top three countries contributing to this research. Foreign research institutions were predominantly universities， while Chinese research institutions were primarily hospitals and maternal and child health hospitals. Foreign research hotspots included the use of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus reuteri strains in managing conditions like diarrhea， infantile colic， and neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis. In China， the primary research focus areas included the application of Peifeikang for necrotizing enterocolitis， Miya for diarrhea， and Siliankang in combination with phototherapy or traditional Chinese medicine for neonatal jaundice.ConclusionChina should enhance supervision and approval procedures for clinical trials involving probiotics in infant foods and promptly establish corresponding clinical trial guidelines.

Anthraquinone is a recently identified contaminant present in teas globally, and its potential teratogenic and genotoxic impacts have yet to be fully comprehended. Hence, this study's objective was to determine anthraquinone's genotoxicity using various studies such as the Ames test, Mammalian erythrocyte micronucleus test, and in-vitro mammalian chromosome aberration study. Additionally, the study assessed its effects on maternal gestational toxicity and the fetus's teratogenicity through prenatal developmental toxicity research in rats. Results indicated that anthraquinone did not manifest mutagenic effects on Salmonella typhimurium histidine-deficient, did not cause chromosomal aberrations in Chinese hamster ovary cell subclone CHO-K1, and did not exhibit a genotoxic effect on mouse bone marrow erythrocytes. However, in the prenatal developmental toxicity study, administering anthraquinone orally to pregnant rats from day 5 to day 19 of gestation resulted in decreased body weight and food consumption of pregnant rats, along with a higher number of visceral malformations in the fetuses in the highest dose group (217.6 mg/kg BW). Additionally, two pregnant rats died in this group. The study has established the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) as 21.76 mg/kg BW, while the lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAEL) was 217.6 mg/kg BW.

Background: Recent studies have raised concerns about genotoxic effects associated with titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs), which are commonly used. This meta-analysis aims to investigate the potential genotoxicity of TiO2 NPs and explore influencing factors. Methods: This study systematically searched Chinese and English literature. The literature underwent quality evaluation, including reliability evaluation using the toxicological data reliability assessment method and relevance evaluation using routine evaluation forms. Meta-analysis and subgroup analyses were performed using R software, with the standardized mean difference (SMD) as the combined effect value. Results: A total of 26 studies met the inclusion criteria and passed the quality assessment. Meta-analysis results indicated that the SMD for each genotoxic endpoint was greater than 0. This finding implies a significant association between TiO2 NP treatment and DNA damage and chromosome damage both in vivo and in vitro and gene mutation in vitro. Subgroup analysis revealed that short-term exposure to TiO2 NPs increased DNA damage. Rats and cancer cells exhibited heightened susceptibility to DNA damage triggered by TiO2 NPs (p < 0.05). Conclusions: TiO2 NPs could induce genotoxicity, including DNA damage, chromosomal damage, and in vitro gene mutations. The mechanism of DNA damage response plays a key role in the genotoxicity induced by TiO2 NPs.

Caffeine has known effects on the central nervous and cardiovascular systems. An intake up to 400 mg/day does not give rise to health concerns. Tea, a major source of caffeine, is highly consumed in China. However, the potential health risk of caffeine from tea has not been well evaluated. The present study assessed caffeine intake levels from tea for Chinese adult consumers. We collected 1,398 samples of green, black, dark, jasmine, oolong, white, and yellow tea from 17 provinces. The caffeine content was determined by HPLC. The average contents were 27 (oolong tea) - 43 (yellow tea) mg/g. The leaching rate of caffeine into the water was about 100%. Tea consumption data were from the National Beverage Consumption Survey 2013-2014. Monte Carlo simulations were applied to estimate the distribution of caffeine intake. The average caffeine intake from tea was 180 mg/day of all consumers. Green, dark, and black tea were the primary sources. Males (197 mg/day) consumed more caffeine than females (136 mg/day) on average, but females older than 71 years had the highest intake level (259 mg/day) among all subgroups. Over 90% of Chinese adult tea drinkers have caffeine intake under 400 mg/day.

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the acute and subchronic toxicity of anthraquinone. An acute toxicity test was performed in female Sprague Dawley (SD) rats, and the oral median lethal dose (LD50) of anthraquinone was estimated to be >5000 mg/kg body weight (BW). In the subchronic study, groups of 10 male and 10 female rats were dosed with anthraquinone by gavage at 0, 1.36, 5.44, 21.76, and 174.08 mg/kg BW, 7 days/week for 90 days followed by a recovery period of 28 days. No appreciable toxic-related changes were observed in the 1.36 mg/kg BW group. When the animals received 5.44 mg/kg BW or more of anthraquinone, hyaline droplet accumulation in the renal tubules was observed in both the male and female rats, and anemia was observed in the females. When the anthraquinone dose reached 174.08 mg/kg BW, mild hepatocellular hypertrophy around the central vein of the hepatic lobule and hypothyroidism were observed in the female rats. During the recovery period, changes in clinical symptoms and parameters were considerably alleviated. Based on the results of this study, the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) for anthraquinone in rats was set at 1.36 mg/kg BW, and the lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAEL) was 5.44 mg/kg BW.

The effects of lead as a dietary pollutant remain a global public health concern that needs urgent resolution. Children are highly susceptible to the adverse outcomes of lead pollution, as even low levels of lead may cause irreversible damage to intellectual development. Since several sources of lead exposure are present in the environment, it is necessary to identify the attributable burden of lead-related diseases arising from different exposure sources. In the present study, we used epidemiological data from studies around the nation to estimate the burden of mild intellectual disability (MID) attributed to lead exposure sources by using disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). To this end, a dose-response approach was used and a model comprising three components was established: exposure, dose-response, and DALYs module. In Chinese children aged 0-6 years, blood lead levels (BLLs) of 5.34 +/- 3.09 mu g/dL resulted in a MID incidence rate of 12.84 cases per 1000 children, with an estimated burden of disease (BoD) of 42.23 DALYs per 1000 children. Owing to dietary lead exposure, 36.64 healthy life years per 1000 children were lost, which was notably higher than the outcomes associated with exposure from other sources. This was consistent with the result that dietary exposure was the main contributor to children's lead exposure, accounting for 86.76%. According to the regional distribution based on the existing literature, the areas in China with higher BLLs were Heilongjiang, Shanxi, and Jiangxi. Our findings provided the information for lead risk management decisions and policies making.

College of Life Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China Clostridia Research Group, BBSRC/EPSRC Synthetic Biology Research Centre (SBRC), School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials, Nanjing, China

Practical applications The binding species of rare earth elements (REEs) in Laminaria ochroleuca and Porphyra haitanensis were analyzed by ICP-MS. Results showed that REEs were mainly associated with cellulose, followed by polysaccharides. Content of REEs in Laminaria ochroleuca polysaccharide was higher than that in Porphyra haitanensis polysaccharide due to its particular structure. The binding mechanism of REEs to algae was determined by desorption with three different solutions and it showed most REEs were associated with ion exchange and surface complexation. After desorption, almost all of the absorption peaks in two samples had shifted and the intensity of them had increased. Furthermore, new absorption peaks were found in Laminaria ochroleuca material after dealt with EDTA (1,334 cm(-1)) and HCl (1,735, 1,527cm(-1)), which shown that the major functional group were carboxyl, amino, sulfate, and hydroxyl in the biosorption process. All the results could be used as references to the safety evaluation of REEs in seafood. With the large-scale application of REEs, the growing release of REEs to environment is becoming a concern due to their hazard to the health of human beings. Considering the strong bioaccumulation of elements by marine organisms, it is crucial to carry out systematic safety evaluation of REEs in seafood. This work was to provide information on the characteristic of interaction between algae and REEs and illuminate the binding properties and mechanisms. This study may provide reference data for assessing potential environmental risks in seafood. Furthermore, these data would provide a basis for recycling REEs in aquatic systems.

In this study, the content and bioaccessibility of rare earth elements (REEs) in Porphyra spp. Samples before and after thermal treatments were investigated. Additionally, the risks of REEs exposure to human health were assessed. REEs content significantly reduced after thermal processing (P < 0.01), and the removal rate of REEs was approximately 30%. Thermal treatment increased REEs bioaccessibility from 44% to 64.34%. The concentration and bioaccessibility of Ce, La, Y, Nd were high in raw and thermally treated Porphyra samples, and there was no correlation between REEs content and bioaccessibility. Based on the following parameters: highest content of REEs in the studied seaweed samples (13.45 mg/kg), the highest daily seafood consumption (44.9 g/day), and the highest bioaccessibility (64.34%), the ratio of the calculated daily intake (DI) to daily allowable intake by diet (DAI(diet)) of REEs did not exceed the reference value in rare earth mining areas or under extreme conditions. The DI via seafood consumption would be exceeded when the content of REEs in the seafood sample is greater than 15.77 mg/kg. In this study, the concentration of REEs did not exceed 15.77 mg/kg in any sample. Thus, the human health risks of REEs associated with seafood are low.

An in vitro digestion method was used to investigate the effect of thermal processing on rare earth elements (REEs) content and bioaccessibility in seaweed and oyster. For raw and thermal processed seaweed, the REEs content was determined to be 2.60 to 2.67 mgkg(-1) dry weight by ICP-MS, respectively. For oyster, the REEs concentration ranged from 2.61 to 3.17 mgkg(-1), in increasing order, fried<raw<steamed. No significant difference in the concentration of REEs was found between raw and thermal processed samples. Regarding seaweed, the thermal treatment had a significant effect in increasing the REEs bioaccessibility, from 33.33 to 77.68%. On the contrary, the thermal processing had an apparent reduction effect on the REEs bioaccessibility on oyster. Comparing the raw and thermal processed samples, the results indicated that thermal processing had a considerable effect on the bioaccessibility. These data provide additional reference information to properly assess dietary risks of REEs in aquatic products. Practical applicationsRare earth elements (REEs) have been widely used in many fields, especially in agricultural activities in China over the last two decades. With the wide-scale application, there is the potential to create an accumulation of REEs in the food chain and a number of environmental risks to human health. This work was to provide information on the content and in vitro bioaccessibility of REEs in seaweed and oyster before and after thermal processing. These data could truly estimate the health risk and provide a basis for developing standards of REEs in seafood.

运用岩石地球化学方法,对广东惠东地区离子吸附型稀土矿床的地球化学特征进行研究.结果显示,风化壳中元素含量及配分特点总体上取决于母岩,但稀土元素在继承母岩稀土元素的基础上含量进一步富集,且各风化层中元素含量变化与风化作用之间具有一定相关性.WIG指数相较于CIA指数能更有效地描述风化壳风化强度,风化壳中稀土元素迁出富集与WIG指数及元素迁移系数具有一定规律性,轻稀土元素多在全风化层上部富集,而重稀土元素在全风化层下部及半风化层明显迁入富集,Ce、Eu均具明显负异常.

目的:探讨稀土元素指纹分析对紫菜产地溯源的可行性.方法:利用电感耦合等离子体质谱(ICP-MS)对南北两地区(江苏条斑紫菜,福建坛紫菜)的36个紫菜样品中16种稀土元素含量进行测定,并对数据进行聚类分析、主成分分析和判别分析,建立紫菜的产地判别模型.结果:聚类分析将紫菜分为五大类,主成分分析提取了两个主成分,占方差解释的97％,这两种分析方法均可以将不同省份的紫菜样品完全区分;Fisher线性判别(fisher linear discriminant analysis,FLD)验证了产地判别模型的适用性,对6个采样点的样品判别准确率达到100％.结论:稀土元素可以作为紫菜产地溯源的依据.