Biomonitoring of ochratoxin A in a small sample of cargo workers handling grains and raw coffee

Handling cargo such as grains and raw coffee beans may result in an inhalation mycotoxin-containing dusts from these commodities. Ochratoxin A (OTA) was analyzed in blood samples obtained from nine cargo workers who handle these commodities at the Hamburg harbour. The OTA plasma levels ranged between 0.14 and 1.04 ng/ml. The mean (0.5±0.3) and median value (0.42 ng/ml) for this sample are slightly higher than those reported previously for the general population in Germany resulting from dietary OTA exposure alone. Our preliminary data point to a possible inhalation exposure, but further investigations are necessary for a definite proof of this exposure. This pilot study is an example of the usefulness of biomonitoring for OTA in occupational contexts.