Overall internal exposure to mycotoxins and their occurrence in occupational and residential settings – An overview

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites of various fungal species that can contaminate food and feed, as well as indoor environments. Numerous studies have summarized the adverse health effects of mycotoxins and described severe intoxications of humans and animals. The major health concerns are caused via the alimentary route which unambiguously is the main source for human internal exposure; however, the relevance of other pathways under environmental and occupational conditions should also be considered. Thus firstly, this review aims in summarizing literature data on potentially inhalable mycotoxins occurring in dusts or air in residences and in working environments. Secondly, it gives an overview of the overall internal body burden of mycotoxins in humans in an attempt to characterize total human exposure. These data are also discussed in relation to the current toxicologically based values used for risk assessment.