Towards swift yet accurate forensic analysis and risk assessment of food and environment safety

对食品和环境安全进行快速而准确的法医分析和风险评估

• 批准号: 39487-2013
• 负责人: Beauchemin, Diane
• 金额: $ 3.21万
• 依托单位: Queen's University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2017-01-01 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=632623
• 关键词: Towards; swift; yet; accurate; forensic

Currently, government agencies usually determine the safety of food items and airborne particulate matter that we all breathe based on the total concentration of elements. Dissolution of solid samples is usually carried out, which takes time and reagents. Furthermore, the multiple steps involved increase the likelihood of contamination and may result in loss of some of the elements to be determined. In addition, this approach does not provide any information on the chemical form of each element, which determines toxicity. Most critically, it also does not provide any information on bio-accessibility, i.e. solubility in the gastrointestinal tract. Yet, the existence of a large quantity of a toxicant is only a safety concern if the human body absorbs it. The proposed research program will involve the development of simple analysis methods that quickly determine the level of each element present in a solid. If the level poses a potential danger to human health, the analytical method will determine the form of the element to establish what portion is toxic. If the toxic portion is problematic, a quick on-line leaching approach can then be used to establish the fraction of the toxic portion that is bio-accessible. Four graduate and several undergraduate students will participate in different aspects of this research. In addition, one graduate student and several undergraduate students will adapt this technique to develop novel methods to analyze forensic samples (in particular, paint and fiber fragments), adding a new tool to the arsenal of police agencies to help them solve cases and reduce crime. Law enforcement agencies, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, will be able to implement the methods developed easily and cost-effectively. Rapid and cost-effective acquisition of information on both element forms and bio-accessible element concentrations in foods and airborne particulate matter will enable toxicological studies to establish if a synergistic or antagonistic effect exists between different elements. This will empower Canadian authorities to regulate levels of elements (and perhaps even specific element forms) in food at safe levels, thereby saving Canadians billions of dollars through the associated reduction or elimination of immuno-toxicological effects.

目前，政府机构通常根据元素的总浓度来确定食品和我们呼吸的空气中颗粒物的安全性。通常进行固体样品的溶解，这需要时间和试剂。此外，所涉及的多个步骤增加了污染的可能性，并可能导致一些待确定元素的损失。此外，这种方法不提供任何关于每种元素的化学形式的信息，而化学形式决定了毒性。最关键的是，它也没有提供任何关于生物可及性的信息，即在胃肠道中的溶解度。然而，大量有毒物质的存在只有在人体吸收时才会引起安全问题。拟议的研究计划将涉及开发简单的分析方法，以快速确定固体中存在的每种元素的水平。如果该水平对人体健康构成潜在危险，则分析方法将确定该元素的形式，以确定哪一部分有毒。如果有毒部分有问题，那么可以使用快速在线浸出方法来确定有毒部分的生物可及性。四名研究生和几名本科生将参与本研究的不同方面。此外，一名研究生和几名本科生将利用这项技术开发分析法医样本（特别是油漆和纤维碎片）的新方法，为警察机构的武器库增加一种新工具，帮助他们破案和减少犯罪。包括加拿大皇家骑警在内的执法机构将能够轻松、经济地实施所开发的方法。快速和具有成本效益地获取食物和空气中颗粒物质中元素形态和生物可及元素浓度的信息，将使毒理学研究能够确定不同元素之间是否存在协同或拮抗作用。这将使加拿大当局能够将食品中的元素（甚至可能是特定元素形式）控制在安全水平，从而通过相关的减少或消除免疫毒理学效应为加拿大人节省数十亿美元。