Exposure Assessment of Nitrofuran Metabolites in Fish and Honey Produced in Armenia: A Pilot Investigation

In Armenia, the presence of nitrofuran residues in food products is unacceptable for both domestic sales and export. However, food may contain nitrofuran metabolites (NMs) due to the illegal use of these drugs in the agrofarming practice. This study aimed to identify NMs as the marker residues for nitrofurans in fish and honey produced in Armenia and assess the potential health risks associated with consuming these foods. The commodities studied were natural honey and three species of farmed fish produced by various regions nationwide. Concentrations of the marker metabolites (3-amino-2-oxazolidinone (AOZ), 3-amino-5-methylmorpholino-2-oxazolidinone (AMOZ), 1-aminohydantoin (AHD), and semicarbazide (SEM)) were determined through an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and verified using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Consumer groups were identified based on their average daily intake of foods. Health risk was assessed by calculating the margin of exposure (MOE). Reference values for health risk assessment were obtained from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Results showed that 33.3% of fish samples and 44.4% of honey samples contained NMs, the mean concentrations ranging from 0.05 μg/kg to 0.52 μg/kg. All MOE values obtained were over 10,000, indicating that the detected concentrations of NMs in fish and honey produced in Armenia pose no health risk to consumers. However, these results highlight the illicit use of highly toxic substances and the need for improved control of farming practices.