Department of Environmental Science, University of South Africa, Private Bag X6, Florida 1710, South Africa.
Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa.
Toxins (Basel). 2022 Jan 21;14(2):75. doi: 10.3390/toxins14020075.
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.
黄曲霉毒素污染仍然是食品安全和人类健康的最重要威胁之一。黄曲霉毒素主要存在于土壤、腐烂的植物材料和食品储存系统中，特别是在干旱胁迫期间更为丰富。法规建议通过将受污染的作物掺入土壤中自然降解来处理黄曲霉毒素。然而，黄曲霉毒素在土壤中的命运和后果以及为提供基本生态服务的土壤生物仍不清楚，这可能对土壤健康和生产力构成潜在风险。保护土壤生物多样性和生态系统服务对于成功开展联合国生态系统恢复十年至关重要。本研究的重点是调查黄曲霉毒素在不同温度和湿度条件下对蚯蚓生存、生长、繁殖和遗传毒性的毒理学后果。结果表明，10 至 100µg/kg 之间的黄曲霉毒素浓度对蚯蚓的生存、生长和繁殖没有显著影响，但在标准测试条件下，DNA 损伤呈浓度依赖性增加。然而，毒素与不同环境条件（特别是低湿度）的相互作用导致蚯蚓的繁殖率显著降低和 DNA 损伤增加。
