Humans are exposed daily to complex mixtures of chemical substances via food intake, inhalation, and dermal contact. Developmental neurotoxicity is an understudied area and entails one of the most complex areas in toxicology. Animal studies for developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) are hardly performed in the context of regular hazard studies, as they are costly and time consuming and provide only limited information as to human relevance. There is a need for a combination of in vitro and in silico tests for the assessment of chemically induced DNT in humans. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo (ZFE) provides a powerful model to study DNT because it shows fast neurodevelopment with a large resemblance to the higher vertebrate, including the human system. One of the suitable readouts for DNT testing in the zebrafish is neurobehaviour (stimulus-provoked locomotion) since this provides integrated information on the functionality and status of the entire nervous system of the embryo. In the current study, environmentally relevant pharmaceuticals and their mixtures were investigated using the zebrafish light-dark transition test. Zebrafish embryos were exposed to three neuroactive compounds of concern, carbamazepine (CBZ), fluoxetine (FLX), and venlafaxine (VNX), as well as their main metabolites, carbamazepine 10,11-epoxide (CBZ 10,11E), norfluoxetine (norFLX), and desvenlafaxine (desVNX). All the studied compounds, except CBZ 10,11E, dose-dependently inhibited zebrafish locomotor activity, providing a distinct behavioural phenotype. Mixture experiments with these pharmaceuticals identified that dose addition was confirmed for all the studied binary mixtures (CBZ-FLX, CBZ-VNX, and VNX-FLX), thereby supporting the zebrafish embryo as a model for studying the cumulative effect of chemical mixtures in DNT. This study shows that pharmaceuticals and a mixture thereof affect locomotor activity in zebrafish. The test is directly applicable in environmental risk assessment; however, further studies are required to assess the relevance of these findings for developmental neurotoxicity in humans.

Seven commercial Moroccan honeys were considered for chemical characterisation. Volatile fraction, total polyphenols content, antioxidant and antiradical activities were evaluated by employing different analytical methodologies. Several physical parameters such as refractive index, pH, water content, solids content and colour were measured. Volatile fraction revealed an abundant presence of cis- and trans-linalool oxide in the seven studied samples. The presence of high levels of compounds related to the Maillard reaction, like furfural and hydroxymethylfurfural, could be the result of thermal treatments used to liquefy commercial honeys or of long storage times. The CIE L*a*b*C*(ab)h°(ab) chromatic coordinates confirmed the advanced stage of the Maillard reaction, showing L* values lower than the common values found for honey of similar typologies.

Pesticides are broadly used to improve food safety, although they can lead to adverse health effects on consumers. Various food processing approaches, at the industrial or domestic level, have been found to highly reduce the amount of pesticide residues in most food materials. In this work, samples of raw tomatoes were collected directly from the field and processed at the industrial level to produce purée, triple concentrated paste, fine pulp, and diced tomatoes. A multiresidue method based on a modified QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged e Safe) sample preparation, followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis (LC-MS/MS) for the assessment of 116 pesticides residues, was used. The analytical method has been validated according to SANTE indications. The recovery yields ranged from 75.5% to 115.3%, repeatability (RSDr) ranged from 3.4% to 18.3%, while reproducibility (RSD_wR) ranged from 5.4% to 19.8%. The limit of quantifications (LOQs) ranged from 2.35 µg kg⁻¹ for benthiavalicarb to 6.49 µg kg⁻¹ for allethrin. A total of 159 raw tomato samples were collected from the field. The analysis showed the presence of 46 pesticides with azoxystrobin and chlorantraniliprole the most represented. On the other hand, all industrially processed samples showed values ≤ LOD, confirming that post-harvest processes can lead to a decrease in pesticide residues from agricultural commodities.

This work aimed to investigate the bio-distribution and the persistence of fipronil and its primary metabolite fipronil sulfone after oral and dermal administration by simulating natural farming conditions. Fipronil and fipronil sulfone detection and quantification were performed in different poultry matrices using an LC-MS/MS method coupled with modified QuEChERS extraction. After oral administration, fipronil was detected in feathers at each sampling time, in eggs for 28 days, and in the internal organs at the end of the experiment. After dermal administration, high levels of fipronil were detected in feathers, accounting for 195.85 ± 8.54 mg/kg, which were reduced by a third after 60 days. No traces of fipronil were detected in the eggs or internal organs. In addition, fipronil sulfone showed remarkable residues in all samples in trial 2. The data obtained confirmed that inappropriate use of unauthorized pesticides can lead to severe contamination of entire poultry farms. The contemporary presence of fipronil sulfone in feathers and eggs associated with the lack of fipronil in eggs suggests recent dermal contamination or past oral contamination. Moreover, simultaneous analysis of hens’ feathers and eggs could represent a new method to improve large-scale monitoring programs and animal welfare, limiting their slaughter.

Honey, a natural food with a rich history, is produced by honeybees and other species of bees from nectar, other plant fluids, and honeydew of sap-sucking insects. During foraging, these bees may be exposed to plant protection products (PPPs), metals, and metalloids, potentially leading to residues in honey and hive products that could have a negative impact on human safety. Recognizing the lack of an appropriate methodology for pesticide contamination of honey and other hive products, this research aims to support the need for studies on residues in pollen and bee products for human consumption to establish safe maximum residue levels (MRLs) for consumers. A UHPLC-MS/MS residues method and a modified QuEChERS extraction were applied to simultaneously determine 237 pesticide residues in honey and pollen. The study in North Sardinia analyzed honey and pollen samples from six areas for pesticide residues and verified 27 heavy metals and metalloid residues using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). The data obtained showed residues at levels close to the LOQ of the method, cycloate in a few samples of pollen, and dichlorvos, zoxamide, cycloate, and chlorantraniliprole in honey samples. All samples showed the absence of heavy metal contamination. Overall, no risk to human health was identified. The results of this study confirm that honey and pollen may be a good bioindicator of environmental contamination of a wide area surrounding honeybee hives.