RESUMO
Pesticides play a critical role in modern agriculture by protecting crops and ensuring higher yields, but their widespread use raises concerns about human health and environmental impact. Regulatory agencies impose Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) to ensure safety, and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) assesses pesticide risks. This study monitored pesticide residues in 169 feed samples from Piedmont (Italy) collected between 2019 and 2023. Using GC-MS/MS, residues were found in 92% of animal-based and 70% of cereal-based feedstuffs. The most common pesticides in cereal-based feeds were pyrimiphos-methyl, deltamethrin, cypermethrin, azoxystrobin, and tetramethrin, and the pesticide synergist piperonyl-butoxide demonstrated a significant increase in contaminated samples in 2023. The lower concentrations in 2021 were likely due to COVID-19 impacts on pesticide availability. In animal-based feeds, common pesticides included deltamethrin, cypermethrin, and the pesticide synergist piperonyl-butoxide. The results highlight the pervasive presence of low-dose pesticide mixtures in feed and food chains, which could impact health, although do not pose acute risks. The study emphasizes the need for ongoing pesticide monitoring and awareness of the long-term effects of chronic pesticide exposure on animal, human, and environmental health.
RESUMO
Shellfish sanitary controls are very important to guarantee consumer health because bivalve molluscs (BVM) are filter-feeders so they can accumulate pathogens, environmental contaminants and biotoxins produced by some algae, causing infections and food poisoning in humans after ingestion. The purpose of this work was to analyse with chemometric methods the historical data relating to routine analyses carried out by the competent authority (Liguria Local Health Unit, National Health Service) on the BVM reared in a shellfish farm located in the Gulf of La Spezia (Italy). Chemometric analysis was aimed at identifying any correlations between the variables, as well as any seasonal trends and similarities between the stations, in order to be able to provide further material for a more accurate risk assessment and to improve the monitoring organization for example by reducing sampling stations and/or sampling frequency. The dataset used included 31 variables classified as biotoxicological, microbiological and chemical variables, measured twice a week, monthly or half yearly respectively, for a total of 6 years (from 2015 to 2021), on samples of Mytilus galloprovincialis coming from 7 monitoring stations. The results obtained by the application of principal component analysis have shown positive alga-biotoxin correlations, as well as seasonal trends linked to algae growth, with a greater algal biomass and their toxins during the spring months. In addition, periods characterised by low rainfall were found to affect algal development, promoting especially species such as Dinophysis spp. Considering the microbiological and biotoxicological variables, significant differences between the monitoring stations were not found. However, stations could be distinguished on the basis of the nature of the predominant chemical pollutants.