Risk assessment on dietary exposure to aflatoxin B1, heavy metals and phthalates in peanuts, a case study of Shandong province, China

In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the concentration and health risk of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), heavy metals (HMs), and phthalate acid esters (PAEs) in peanut samples in Shandong Province, China, and 255 peanut samples were collected from 20 counties in 2020. AFB1, cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) were detected by the UPLC-MS method, GC-MS method, and ICP-MS method. We found that 4.7 % of samples were contaminated by AFB1. The margin of exposure (MOE) values of AFB1 ranged from 3549 to 3281 (LB to UB), which were lower than the threshold. At the mean and high percentile (P97.5), the liver cancer risk associated with AFB1 was lower than the annual incidence of liver cancer in China (17.7 cases/105 persons·per year), indicating that consumption of peanuts would not pose significant risks of cancer. Moreover,100 % of peanut samples were contaminated by Cd, Pb, and Cr, and 73.3 % and 61.5 % of samples were contaminated by Hg and As, respectively. In addition, 100 %, 98 %, and 99.3 % of peanut samples were contaminated by DEHP, DBP, and DIBP, respectively. The mean and P97.5 values for THQ and HI of HMs and PAEs were found to be less than 1, indicating that there was no significant health risk associated with peanut consumption among the local population in Shandong Province. The P97.5 HI values for the cumulative risk of HMs and PAEs were found to be less than 1, indicating that consuming peanuts may not pose a significant health risk from these substances. However, as peanut oil is the primary way in which peanuts are consumed, measures to mitigate and enrich AFB1, HMs, and PAEs should not be overlooked. Collectively, the effects of these chemicals on peanut products and the health risks to humans should be further studied. •AFB1 contamination of peanuts was not a severe problem in Shandong Province.•The peanuts were widely polluted by heavy metals and phthalates.•Peanut consumption would not pose a significant health risk to the local population.