Neonicotinoid residues in fruits and vegetables in Shenzhen: Assessing human exposure and health risks

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) 2024-09, Vol.364, p.143267, Article 143267
• Main Authors: Li, Xinjie, Yu, Sisi, Huang, Ke, Zhu, Wenchao, Ye, Gang, Qi, Jialiang, Shu, Yanbo, Chen, Xirui, Wang, Zenghan, Maimaiti, Saiheidaiguli, Jin, Hongwei, Lu, Shaoyou
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Fruit; Health risk; Human exposure; Neonicotinoids; Vegetable
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.143267

The extensive use of neonicotinoids (NEOs) in agricultural production has led to their pervasive presence in various environmental matrices, including human samples. Given the central role of fruits and vegetables in daily human diets, it is crucial to evaluate the levels of NEOs residues and their potential health risks. In this study, 3104 vegetable samples and 1567 fruit samples from the Shenzhen city were analyzed. Using the relative potency factor (RPF) method, the residue levels of six representative neonicotinoids, including imidacloprid (IMI), acetamiprid (ACE), thiamethoxam (THM), dinotefuran (DIN), clothianidin (CLO), thiacloprid (THI), were systematically evaluated. The estimated daily intake (EDI), hazard quotient (HQ), and hazard index (HI) for both children and adults were calculated to gauge the prevalence and potential health risks of NEOs in fruits and vegetables. Acetamiprid (ACE) was the most frequently detected NEO in vegetables (69.4%) and fruits (73.9%), making it the predominant contributor to total residues. Further analyses indicated notably higher levels of imidacloprid-equivalent total neonicotinoids (IMIRPF) in root and tuber vegetables (3025 μg/kg) and other fruits (243 μg/kg). A significant strong positive correlation (r = 0.748, P