Toxicological evaluation of multi-class pesticide residues in vegetables and associated human health risk study for adults and children

ABSTRACT

This article describes, for the first time in 10 years, the toxicological evaluation of pesticide residues in highly consumed vegetables (35 commodities) and health risk studies. Among 1075 vegetable samples consisting mainly of tuber, root, fruiting, and Brassica, 20% of samples contained 38 pesticides in the range of 0.005–18.7 mg/kg and 1% > maximum residue limits (MRLs). Organophosphates and chloronitrile were most frequently found (20%) in the pesticide class. The highest concentration of 18.7 mg/kg was noted for dichlofluanid. Fruiting vegetables (8%), especially tomatoes (5%), were the most contaminated, while multi-residues were determined in 5% of the samples. Risk assessment was performed by analytical results and consumption on the 97.5 percentile expressed as hazard index (HI) and hazard quotient (HQ). The highest chronic HI was calculated for diazinon in lettuce (32% Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) adults and 36% children) and for forbidden dieldrin in carrots (26%, 62% ADI). The highest acute HI was estimated for dichlofluanid in lettuce (69% Acute Reference Dose (ARfD)) for adults, whereas for children it was above the acceptance values of ARfD (168%). Organophosphate insecticides with common mode of action showed the greatest HQ (108% ADI). Vegetables may not be a serious problem for consumers, but investigations on pesticide residues are necessary to ensure food safety and the protection of human health, especially toward children who are more highly exposed to pesticides than adults.

KEYWORDS:

• vegetables
• pesticide residues
• health risk
• hazard index
• hazard quotient

Acknowledgments

The authors are very grateful to Ms. Teresa Janowicz and Mrs. Patrycja Mojsak for assistance in the conduction of research.

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Ministerstwo Rolnictwa i Rozwoju Wsi) under the Long-Term Programme of IPP-NRI for 2011–2015 “Protection of Cultivated Plants While Taking into Consideration Food Safety, Reduction of Yield Losses and the Threat to Humans, Farm Animals and the Environment” (Contract No. HORkor.0660/IOR 2011–2015/2/2013), Task No. 1.8 “Research on Pesticide Residues in Crops,” and by the Ministry of Science.