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

目前，政府机构通常根据元素的总浓度来确定食品和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，并可能导致一些待测定元素的损失。 此外，这种方法没有提供关于每种元素的化学形式的任何信息，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，只有在人体吸收的情况下才是安全问题。拟议中的研究计划将涉及开发简单的分析方法，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，分析方法将确定元素的形式，以确定哪些部分有毒。如果有毒部分是有问题的，则可以使用快速在线浸出方法来确定生物可接近的有毒部分的部分。四名研究生和几名本科生将参与这项研究的不同方面。此外，一名研究生和几名本科生将采用这种技术来开发分析法医样本（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，以帮助他们解决案件并减少犯罪。执法机构，包括加拿大皇家骑警，将能够容易地和成本效益高地实施所制定的方法。 快速和具有成本效益地获取有关食物和空气中颗粒物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效应。这将使加拿大当局能够将食品中的元素水平（甚至可能是特定的元素形式）控制在安全水平，从而通过减少或消除相关的免疫毒理学效应为加拿大人节省数十亿美元。

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.