15.1 Introdu ction Mycotoxins are natural poisons that are produced by fungi as secondary metabolites. Foods become contaminated with mycotoxins as a result of mold development during growth, harvest, or storage. Penicillium sp., and Fusarium sp. Of the numerous mycotoxins elaborated by these fungi, FDA is actively concerned in the field with the aflatoxins, the trichothecenes, the ochratoxins, and zearalenone. In addition to the general laboratory safety precautions concerning toxic substances addressed in Chapter 5, Laboratory Safety, some specific safety considerations regarding mycotoxins should be understood before any laboratory work is conducted.
Aflatoxins are suspect carcinogens in humans and are highly toxic as well.
Some of the tnchothecenes are potent dermal irritants and are also orally toxic. For these reasons, never dispose of these or any other mycotoxins by pouring their aqueous solutions down the drain or their organic solutions into a waste container. The electrostatic nature of a number of the mycotoxins in dry form results in a tendency for them to be easily dispersed in the working area and to be attracted to exposed skin and clothes. For this reason, weighing and transferring these materials in the dry state should be avoided whenever possible. Preferably, they should be dissolved in an appropriate solvent, and their concentrations should be determined spectrophotometrically.