Development of a sensitive simultaneous analytical method for 26 targeted mycotoxins in coix seed and Monte Carlo simulation-based exposure risk assessment for local population

[Display omitted] •Simultaneous analysis of 26 mycotoxins by one-step extraction and SIDA-UHPLC-MS/MS.•Rapid and robust method in a single analytical run within 10 min.•High sample throughput, low labor/solvent/time consumption, and environmental-friendly.•Mycotoxins were found in 100% of coix seed samples, with 8–15 in each and 20 in all.•Probabilistic risk assessments of mycotoxins indicated public health concern. Coix seed, a versatile agricultural product, is known for its nutritional and functional components. However, the common contamination with mycotoxins represents a potential risk for human health. A sensitive analytical method was developed and validated to simultaneously determine 26 mycotoxins, including regulated and emerging, using stable-isotope-dilution-assay and LC-MS/MS. The study found co-contamination in 100% of samples from Southeast China, with 8–15 different mycotoxins for each and a total of 20 for all. Probabilistic risk assessments indicated long-term health concerns, with Aflatoxin B1, ochratoxin A, and zearalenone being priority for risk control. Overall, this study appears to be the first to develop a rapid and robust analytical method of 26 mycotoxins and to conduct Monte Carlo simulation-based chronic risk assessments for 12 individual mycotoxins detected in coix seed, which would be of significance for risk communication as well as for regulatory authority in devising effective strategies to minimize exposure health risk.