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Food consumption and tobacco smoke are the main sources of toxic trace elements (TTE) for humans. To the present, no study has been carried out that assessed human exposure to TTE (Cd, Pb, As, Ni, Cr, Cu, and Co) through the consumption of the tomatoes, rice, and tobacco crops grown in the Sancti Spiritus territory of Cuba. Accordingly, the main goal of this study was to assess which metals and crops should receive priority attention for metal pollution management in the local environment. Combining residue element analysis in crops with consumption data collected from a survey, a deterministic exposure assessment was performed. The study identified that priority attention should be focused on Ni and Cd. First, the average concentration of Ni in tomato and rice was found above their reference limits. As a consequence, the concentration of Ni represented a risk to the maximum scenario of children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. Together with Ni, Cd, and Cu also contribute slightly to the cumulative risk. Then, Cd and Ni were quantified in tobacco smoke at a concentration that represented an equal risk to both active and passive smokers. Concentrations high enough to hazard from these toxic elements. The study helped to identify children as the highest stratum at risk of developing adverse health effects due to exposure to Ni and Cd. The results obtained from the basis for future research aimed at reducing the polluting pressure of TTE on human health and the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an ongoing discussion whether in the environmental risk assessment for chemicals the so called ‘deterministic’ approach using point estimates of exposure and effect concentrations is still appropriate. Instead, the more detailed and scientifically sounder probabilistic methods that have been developed over the last years are widely recommended. Here, we present the results of a probabilistic effect assessment for the aquatic environment performed for the pesticide methyl parathion and compare them with the results obtained with the common deterministic approach as described in the EU Technical Guidance Document. Methyl parathion was chosen because a sufficient data set (acute toxicity data for about 70 species) was available. The assumptions underlying the probabilistic effect assessment are discussed in the light of the results obtained for methyl parathion. Two important assumptions made by many studies are: (i) a sufficient number of ecologically relevant toxicity data is available, (ii) the toxicity data follow a certain distribution such as log-normal. Considering the scarcity of data for many industrial chemicals, we conclude that these assumptions would not be fulfilled in many cases if the probabilistic assessment was applied to the majority of industrial chemicals. Therefore, despite the well-known limitations of the deterministic approach, it should not be replaced by probabilistic methods unless the assumptions of these methods are carefully checked in each individual case, which would significantly increase the effort for the assessment procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]