In an era where environmental exposures and their impacts on human health are under intense scrutiny, a groundbreaking biomonitoring study from China has unveiled compelling insights into the co-occurrence of multiple mycotoxins in human urine. This research meticulously compared urinary mycotoxin biomarkers among populations residing in three distinct geographic areas and embodying diverse dietary habits across China. The findings, published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology on December 22, 2025, highlight the complex interplay between regional environments, dietary intake, and cumulative mycotoxin exposure, underscoring a pressing global public health concern.
Mycotoxins are naturally occurring toxic secondary metabolites produced by various species of fungi, commonly contaminating staple food crops such as maize, wheat, peanuts, and rice. Their pervasive presence in the food chain presents considerable health risks, ranging from acute poisoning to long-term carcinogenic and immunosuppressive effects. Despite the recognition of individual mycotoxin hazards, little was understood about their simultaneous occurrence in human subjects, especially across different dietary and geographic contexts — a gap this innovative study aimed to fill.
Using state-of-the-art biomonitoring techniques, the research team quantitatively assessed the presence of multiple mycotoxin biomarkers in urine samples collected from subjects in three geographically and culturally distinct regions of China. This approach allowed for a direct measurement of internal exposure, bypassing the limitations of food contamination data, which often fails to reflect actual human absorption. The studied regions varied not only in location but also in dietary patterns, from rice-dominant staples to wheat and maize-based diets, which potentially influence mycotoxin exposure profiles.
What sets this study apart is its focus on co-occurrence patterns of multiple mycotoxins rather than isolated exposures. Previous investigations primarily targeted singular toxins such as aflatoxins or ochratoxins, but this comprehensive analysis embraced a holistic perspective. The data revealed complex mixtures of mycotoxin biomarkers, suggesting that human populations are subjected to simultaneous exposures that could have synergistic or cumulative toxic effects, amplifying health risks beyond those predicted from single toxin assessments.
The geographic differentiation was particularly striking. In regions where maize consumption predominated, elevated levels of fumonisins were detected, while rice-centric diets correlated with increased trichothecene biomarkers. This dietary linkage highlights the critical role of staple food preferences in shaping exposure risk profiles. Moreover, the study identified uncovered clusters of mycotoxin co-occurrence unique to each location, illuminating how cultural and agricultural practices contribute to differential exposure landscapes.
Beyond descriptive analysis, the researchers conducted a comprehensive cumulative risk assessment using biomarker data, evaluating the potential health risks arising from the combined exposure to multiple mycotoxins. This method uniquely integrates exposure quantification with toxicological benchmarks, offering refined estimates of risk that are crucial for policy and intervention strategies. The cumulative risk approach reflects the real-world scenario of multiple contaminant exposure, emphasizing that regulatory frameworks should evolve to address these complexities.
Intriguingly, the data suggested that certain mycotoxin combinations might exert additive or even synergistic toxic effects, which cannot be predicted through single-analyte evaluations. This finding demands a paradigm shift in toxicological risk assessment, advocating for integrative models that consider the intricate biochemical interactions of co-occurring contaminants. The study’s insight thus holds substantial implications for public health risk management, urging authorities to monitor multiple toxins simultaneously and tailor interventions to local exposure contexts.
Methodologically, the study leveraged advanced liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for sensitive and specific detection of several mycotoxin biomarkers, including aflatoxin M1, deoxynivalenol (DON), ochratoxin A, zearalenone, and fumonisin B1 metabolites. This analytical rigor ensured the reliability of exposure measurements, underpinning the study’s comprehensive conclusions. The deployment of such high-precision techniques paves the way for future biomonitoring endeavors and establishes a methodological gold standard.
Additionally, the temporal aspect of urine collection was standardized across all regions to mitigate variation due to short-term dietary changes or metabolic differences. The large sample size further boosted the statistical power, lending robustness to the observed co-occurrence patterns and risk evaluations. This meticulous study design, combined with the multi-regional approach, affords an unprecedented overview of mycotoxin exposure across diverse populations.
The findings also raise concerns regarding vulnerable subgroups, such as children and pregnant women, who may be more susceptible to mycotoxin effects due to immature detoxification systems or increased physiological demands. Although the current study focused on the general adult population, the demonstrated prevalence of multiple mycotoxin exposures signals an urgent need to extend biomonitoring to sensitive demographics to safeguard public health more effectively.
From an epidemiological standpoint, the study enriches the understanding of chronic mycotoxin exposure’s etiology, potentially linking these environmental chemicals to observed disease patterns, including hepatic carcinoma, immune dysregulation, and growth impairments. By elucidating exposure distributions and cumulative toxic risks, this research empowers targeted public health interventions, ranging from enhanced food safety regulations to public education campaigns about dietary choices and food storage practices.
Importantly, the study’s regional distinctions suggest that policy measures must be context-specific, reflecting unique local agricultural ecosystems, food processing methods, and consumption habits. One-size-fits-all approaches are unlikely to achieve optimal risk reduction. Instead, localized biomonitoring and risk assessments can generate tailored mitigation strategies that improve food safety and reduce mycotoxin burdens effectively.
Moreover, the integration of biomonitoring data with agricultural surveillance could inform predictive models for mycotoxin contamination, facilitating proactive risk management. Climate factors influencing fungal growth and toxin production can also be incorporated into such frameworks, considering that global warming may exacerbate mycotoxin prevalence. This convergence of biomonitoring, environmental data, and food science marks a promising frontier in exposure science.
While this study focuses on Chinese populations, its methodological innovations and findings resonate globally, particularly in low- and middle-income regions where mycotoxin contamination remains a persistent challenge. The demonstrated co-exposure and cumulative risk assessment approach provide a blueprint for international efforts to quantify and mitigate mycotoxin hazards, fostering healthier food systems worldwide.
Future research inspired by this work may explore the mechanistic underpinnings of mycotoxin synergy, investigate genetic susceptibility factors, or assess the effectiveness of intervention measures over time. Longitudinal biomonitoring could enrich understanding of chronic exposure dynamics, while intervention trials could test strategies such as dietary diversification, mycotoxin binders, or improved storage technologies.
Ultimately, this pioneering study exemplifies the critical role of biomonitoring in unveiling complex exposure realities that shape human health outcomes. It challenges conventional risk assessment paradigms, advocates for multidimensional evaluations, and provides actionable insights to guide policy, public health, and scientific inquiry. As the global community grapples with the hidden burdens of foodborne toxins, such research heralds a new era of exposure science grounded in precision, comprehensiveness, and contextual relevance.
Subject of Research:
The subject focuses on the comparative analysis of urinary multi-mycotoxin biomarkers, patterns of their co-occurrence, and the cumulative risk assessment of populations from three distinct geographic and dietary regions in China.
Article Title:
A comparative study of urinary mycotoxin biomarkers co-occurrence patterns and cumulative risk assessment in population from three typical areas in China.
Article References:
Zhou, YY., Li, ML., Wang, XD. et al. A comparative study of urinary mycotoxin biomarkers co-occurrence patterns and cumulative risk assessment in population from three typical areas in China. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41370-025-00830-x
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DOI:
22 December 2025
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