Determination of Aflatoxin M1 concentration in volunteers from rural and urban areas of Cochabamba-Bolivia

Abstract

Aflatoxins are produced by toxigenic strains of Aspergillus fungi and include the subtypes: B1, B2, G1, and G2. Once ingested, aflatoxin is metabolized to aflatoxin M1 found in the urine. Because of the importance of aflatoxins on human health, we analyzed 550 urine samples collected from farmers and city volunteers from Cochabamba. The level of aflatoxin M1 was determined using the Helica Aflatoxin M1 ELISA Kit specific for urine. 216 volunteer farmers had an aflatoxin M1 range of 0.02-1.21 ng/ml, while 334 urine city volunteers had a range of 0.03-1.27 ng/ml, indicating a risk for exposure to aflatoxin contamination for both populations.