Analyzing health risks for employable population caused by food products contamination (experience gained in Samara region)

Nowadays it is essential to provide safe nutrition for population via activities aimed at reducing risks related to adverse effects produced by contaminants on people’s health; such activities include those accomplished within the state sanitary-epidemiologic surveillance. As per data provided by Samara Regional Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology, 71,204 food products samples were analyzed; analysis focused on contents of heavy metals (cadmium, mercury, lead, and arsenic), pesticides (hexachlorocyclohexane or HCCH, Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane or DDT,) nitrates, nitrites, aflatoxin B1, and benzpyrene. Next, exposure was assessed and risks of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effects were calculated. Analysis of an aggregated hazard index created as per median values of contaminants contents revealed that arsenic made a substantial contribution into risks which was equal to 48 %. The second rank place belonged to cadmium that accounted for 14 %; the third one was occupied with nitrates, 12 %...