# Aflatoxin Exposure and Human Health with a Focus on Northern Latin America

## TL;DR

Aflatoxins in food, especially aflatoxin B1, pose serious health risks like liver cancer, and this paper focuses on exposure and mitigation in northern Latin America.

## Contribution

The paper provides a global overview of aflatoxin exposure using biomarker data and emphasizes the under-researched situation in northern Latin America.

## Key findings

- Aflatoxin B1 is the most potent carcinogen among aflatoxins.
- Chronic aflatoxin exposure is linked to liver cancer, childhood stunting, and gallbladder cancer.
- A multipronged approach is suggested to reduce aflatoxin exposure in northern Latin America.

## Abstract

Aflatoxins, mycotoxins produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, were discovered sixty-five years ago and remain a significant public health threat, particularly amid increasing instances of extreme weather events. Of the four principal forms of aflatoxins found in foods (B1, B2, G1, and G2), aflatoxin B1 is the most potent carcinogen. Aflatoxins commonly contaminate a variety of foodstuffs, with maize being among the most susceptible. Chronic exposure to aflatoxins has been linked to liver cancer, childhood stunting, gallbladder cancer, and other adverse health effects. Due to public health concerns related to the consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated foods, most countries have established regulatory limits. Here, we present estimated aflatoxin exposure per day derived from human biomarker data across many studies around the world spanning more than forty years. We specifically focus on the impact of dietary aflatoxin in northern Latin America, where assessment of the total problem remains limited. These findings suggest a multipronged toolkit could mitigate aflatoxin exposure in the region, which would help to decrease the health burden.