HRMS analysis of pesticides in vegetables from Shanghai and risk assessment.

A rapid analytical method for the simultaneous determination of 550 pesticide residues in vegetable samples was developed based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem Q/Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q/Orbitrap-HRMS). To investigate the risk of exposure to pesticide residues through vegetable consumption, 704 leafy vegetable samples from Shanghai were analysed for multiple residues using this method. A total of 54 pesticide residues were identified in these vegetable samples and 302 samples contained one or more pesticide residue. The levels of the detected pesticides did not pose a health risk in the long term and were acceptable according to the results of the chronic dietary risk assessment. Risk rankings displayed that most of the pesticides were low to medium risk. The findings of this study provide a reference for future pesticide monitoring programmes.

Pesticides and risk assessment in Shanghai fruit and raw eaten vegetables.

A database of 392 pesticides established by an Ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem Q/Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometer (UPLC-Q/Orbitrap-HRMS) was used to screen multiple residues of pesticides in fruit and raw eaten vegetables from planting farms in Shanghai. Risk assessment was conducted with the screened results of the determined pesticides as to evaluate food safety. In 95% of the samples, one or more pesticides had a content below the maximum residue limits (MRLs) as set in the national Chinese standard. The co-occurrence of multi-residues of pesticides was more severe in peach and muskmelon, when compared with other food. All hazard index values of different groups were in the range of 0.19% to 12.3%, demonstrating that chronic dietary risk of studied fruits and raw eaten vegetables is low and the studied food samples were safe for human consumption in terms of these detected pesticides.

Determination and dietary risk assessment of 284 pesticide residues in local fruit cultivars in Shanghai, China.

The presence of pesticide residues has become one of the main risk factors affecting the safety and quality of agro-food. In this study, a multi-residue method for the analysis of 284 pesticides in five local fruit cultivars in Shanghai was developed based on ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF/MS). The limits of determination and the limits of quantitation of pesticides were 0.6-10 and 2-30 µg/kg, respectively. A total of 44, 10, 10, 18, and 7 pesticides were detected in strawberries, watermelons, melons, peaches, and grapes, respectively. The pesticide levels in 95.0% of the samples were below the maximum residual limits (MRLs) prescribed by China, and in 66.2% of the samples below the EU MRLs. The dietary risk assessment study showed big differences in the chronic and acute exposure risk values among different Chinese consumer groups. Through fruit consumption, children/females showed higher exposure risks than adults/males. But both the risk values were less than 100%, indicating that potential dietary risk induced by the pesticides was not significant for Chinese consumers. Nevertheless, certain measures are needed for both growers and the government in order to decrease the MRL-exceeding rate of pesticide residues and ensure the quality and safety of fruits for consumers.