Esposizione ai tricoteceni dei bambini in età prescolare e scolare

The occurrence of trichothecene toxins in cereals present in the diet of nursery school babies (age 12-36 months) and primary school children (age 6-10 years) was monitored in Milan. Cereal-based food (bread, pasta, cookies, pizza, etc.) was daily collected and weekly pooled for 5 weeks in May and June 2004, for babies and children, respectively. Cereals were both from organic (nursery and primary schools) and conventional (primary schools) agriculture. The analysis of trichothecenes was performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and detection limits were 2 µg/kg for Deoxynivalenol (DON) and Nivalenol (NIV) and 10 µg/kg for T-2 and HT-2 toxins. NIV, T-2 and HT-2 toxins were never found while DON was detected in all samples and the average concentrations were 45 µg/kg for nursery school and 82 µg/kg for primary school samples. The calculated expositions were 0,76 µg/kg b.w./day for babies and 0,89 µg/kg b.w./day for children, and resulted 76 and 89%, respectively, of the UE-SCF TDI (1 µg/kg).