Dissipation, processing factors and dietary risk assessment of the bioinsecticide abamectin in herbal plants belonging to Lamiaceae family from open field to herbal tea infusion.

Abamectin, the mixture of avermectin B1a and B1b, is widely used as a bioinsecticide and is an alternative to chemical pest control from insects. To our knowledge, its behaviour is not fully recognized, especially in herbs. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the environmental fate of abamectin in herbal plants belonging to the Lamiaceae family, its dissipation in open field studies laboratory processing treatments and dietary risk assessment. Three medicinally and culinary important species of herbs: Melissa officinalis L., Mentha × piperita L. and Salvia L. were treated with single and double dose than recommended on the label during their cultivation (BBCH 11-29). Residues were monitored using the QuEChERS method followed by the LC-MS/MS. The dissipation pattern of the sum of avermectin B1a and B1b and their persistence were observed 14 d after spraying. Abamectin decline was very rapid in plants and followed the first-order kinetics model. The half-life (t1/2) was in the range of 0.96-1.08 d (single dose) and 0.93-1.02 d (double dose). The pre-harvest intervals (decrease to the level of 0.01 mg kg-1) were 7.29-7.92 d at single and 7.99-8.64 d at double dose application. Herbal infusion preparation in previously washed and dried mint, lemon balm and sage leaves was the key processing step in the removal of abamectin residues. The reduction of initial deposits after single dose treatment was noted up to 65% (PF = 0.35-0.67) and up to 79% after double dose application (PF = 0.21-0.72) in herbal tea. Acute risk assessment of children and adults for the highest residues in EFSA PRIMo model at single and double dose expressed as hazard quotients (HQ) were <1, indicating no risk to humans via consumption of the herbal products. The data provide a better understanding of abamectin behaviour in herbal plants and can help assure herbs' safety for consumers.

The processing factors of canning and pasteurization for the most frequently occurring fungicides and insecticides in apples and their application into dietary risk assessment.

The challenge of the present comprehensive work was to study, from apple orchards to consumer's plate, the influence of high- and low-temperature thermal treatments on the most frequently occurring fungicides (boscalid, captan, pyraclostrobin) and insecticides (acetamiprid, methoxyfenozide) in apples and processing factor (PF) application for more realistic dietary risk assessment in the new EFSA methodology. Dry pasteurization and canning combined with previous preliminary treatment gave PFs = 0.25-1.8 of the five active substances. Acute exposure (expressed as %ARfD) in the raw commodity was demonstrated to be 168.1% for acetamiprid in the worst case (input - highest residue) and 307.9% for boscalid in the most critical case (input - MRL), and after re-calculation for PF, decreased to 139.5% for acetamiprid in canned product and 203.2% for boscalid in pasteurized apples. These novel data may be helpful in estimating new threshold residue levels significant in food safety especially intended for children.

Application of Total Kidney Volume and Its Predictive Value in Assessment of Kidney Transplant Waitlist Candidates With Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease.

BACKGROUND: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is one of the most prevalent causes of kidney transplantation (KTx) worldwide. About 40% of ADPKD patients require peritransplant native kidney nephrectomy (NKN). The decision regarding qualification for NKN usually relies on the surgeon's expertise. Currently used qualification criteria are subjective and incomparable between clinical centers. There is a need to identify the indications for NKN by applying radiologically based methods to the decision-making process. AIM: To assess the usefulness of radiologic parameters in the qualification process of ADPKD waitlist candidates for the NKN procedure. METHOD: A retrospective, observational study in a cohort of ADPKD patients in a single institution was conducted. The study included the participation of waitlist candidates and kidney transplant recipients with computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) obtained in the peritransplant period. The correlation of imaging-based measurements with the results of clinical qualification for the NKN procedure was assessed. RESULTS: In the years 2012 to 2019, 19 patients completed the inclusion criteria. Total kidney volume (TKV) values were statistically more significant in the NKN group (n = 10) than in the non-NKN group (n = 9), with medians of 3351 mL and 1654 mL, respectively (P = .016). There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of the ratio of complex cyst volume to TKV, with the NKN group having a ratio of 19.2% and the non-NKN group 15.6% (P = .095). Venous compression was found only in the NKN group (n = 2). CONCLUSIONS: TKV highly correlates with the results of clinical qualification for NKN. Radiologic assessment enables the detection of complicated cysts or clinically silent states of venous compression. Pretransplant imaging should be routinely obtained.

Comprehensive toxicological study over 160 processing factors of pesticides in selected fruit and vegetables after water, mechanical and thermal processing treatments and their application to human health risk assessment.

The challenge of the present comprehensive toxicological study was to evaluate water, mechanical and thermal processing factors (PFs) of twenty four pesticides (acetamiprid, alpha­cypermethrin, azoxystrobin, boscalid, bupyrimate, chlorpyrifos, chlorothalonil, cyprodinil, deltamethrin, difenoconazole, fenazaquin, fenhexamid, fludioxonil, folpet, iprodione, lambda­cyhlothrin, metalaxyl, pirymicarb, propargite, pyraclostrobin, tetraconazole, tiophanate methyl, thiram, trifloxystrobin) in different fruit and vegetables and estimate health risk for adults and children. The water (PF = 0,09-0,94), mechanical (PF = 0,13-0,32) and thermal (PF = 0,02-0,57) technology significantly or completely reduced concentrations of twenty one active substances in broccoli, tomatoes, strawberries and black currants. Pyrethroid insecticides (alpha­cypermethrin, deltamethrin and lambda­cyhalothrin) exhibited PF above one in berries influenced by high temperatures. Comprehensive processing factor database technology/pesticide/matrix (over 160 PFs) for 24 pesticides in selected fruit and vegetable species after different processing treatments was created. This paper for the first time compares health risk assessments of acute and chronic of two subpopulations of adults and the most critical group of small children using two mathematical models, without (I) and with including (II) calculated PF values. More realistic estimation of the dietary intakes of the pesticides was achieved using PFs. The hazard quotients (HQs) estimated from chronic and acute dietary exposure (Model l) were above 20% and after intake correction (Model II) were reduced to HQs = 11.5% after water, 3% mechanical and 9.5% thermal treatment.

The influence of effective microorganisms (EM) and yeast on the degradation of strobilurins and carboxamides in leafy vegetables monitored by LC-MS/MS and health risk assessment.

The aim of this study was to determine the behaviour of strobilurin and carbocyamides commonly used in chemical protection of lettuce depending on carefully selected effective microorganisms (EM) and yeast (Y). Additionally, the assessment of the chronic health risk during a 2-week experiment was performed. The statistical method for correlation of physico-chemical parameters and time of degradation for pesticides was applied. In this study, the concentration of azoxystrobin, boscalid, pyraclostrobin and iprodione using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in the matrix of lettuce plants was performed, and there was no case of concentration above maximum residues levels. Before harvest, four fungicides and their mixture with EM (1 % and 10 %) and/or yeast 5 % were applied. In our work, the mixtures of 1%EM + Y and 10%EM + Y both stimulated and inhibited the degradation of the tested active substances. Adding 10%EM to the test substances strongly inhibited the degradation of iprodione, and its concentration decreased by 30 %, and in the case of other test substances, the degradation was approximately 60 %. Moreover, the addition of yeast stimulated the distribution of pyraclostrobin and boscalid in lettuce leaves. The risk assessment for the pesticides ranged from 0.4 to 64.8 % on day 1, but after 14 days, it ranged from 0.0 to 20.9 % for children and adults, respectively. It indicated no risk of adverse effects following exposure to individual pesticides and their mixtures with EM and yeast.