Recent climatological research predicts a significantly wetter climate in Southern Norway as a result of global warming. Thus, the country has already experienced unusually wet summer seasons in the last three years (2010–2012). The aim of this pilot study was to apply an existing multi-analyte LC-MS/MS method for the semi-quantitative determination of 320 fungal and bacterial metabolites in Norwegian cereal grain samples from the 2011 growing season. Such knowledge could provide important information for future survey and research programmes in Norway. The method includes all regulated and well-known mycotoxins such as aflatoxins, trichothecenes, ochratoxin A, fumonisins and zearalenone. In addition, a wide range of less studied compounds are included in the method, e.g., Alternaria toxins, ergot alkaloids and other metabolites produced by fungal species within Fusarium, Penicillium and Aspergillus. Altogether, 46 metabolites, all of fungal origin, were detected in the 76 barley, oats and wheat samples. The analyses confirmed the high prevalence and relatively high concentrations of type-A and -B trichothecenes (e.g., deoxynivalenol up to 7230 µg/kg, HT-2 toxin up to 333 µg/kg). Zearalenone was also among the major mycotoxins detected (maximum concentration 1670 µg/kg). Notably, several other Fusarium metabolites such as culmorin, 2-amino-14,16-dimethyloctadecan-3-ol and avenacein Y were co-occurring. Furthermore, the most prevalent Alternaria toxin was alternariol with a maximum concentration of 449 µg/kg. A number of Penicillium and Aspergillus metabolites were also detected in the samples, e.g., sterigmatocystin in concentrations up to 20 µg/kg.

Recent identification of 6PPD-quinone as the chemical causing acute toxicity in coho salmon has led to substantial concern regarding the toxicity of this contaminant for other aquatic species. Environmental occurrence of 6PPD-quinone is probably high, because it is an oxidation product of a common tire rubber additive. Research on 6PPD-quinone toxicity in fish has revealed a rather unusual pattern, with closely related species exhibiting responses ranging from extreme sensitivity to no effect. Of 11 previously studied fish species, 6PPD-quinone was toxic to four. The species-specific toxicity of 6PPD-quinone complicates urgently needed environmental risk assessment. We investigated the acute toxicity of 6PPD-quinone in Atlantic salmon and brown trout alevins (sac fry). These species have previously not been tested for sensitivity to 6PPD-quinone. The fish were exposed in static conditions in eight treatments with initial concentrations ranging from 0.095 to 12.16 µg/L. Fish were observed for 48 h, and changes in concentrations of 6PPD-quinone were monitored throughout the experiment. No mortalities or substantial changes in behavior were recorded in either Atlantic salmon or brown trout. This provides an important first step in assessing effects of 6PPD-quinone on these economically and culturally highly important species. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:3041–3045. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.