Residue levels, processing factors and risk assessment of pesticides in ginger from market to table.

Ginger is consumed as a spice and medicine globally. However, pesticide residues in ginger and their residue changes during processing remain poorly understood. Our results demonstrate that clothianidin, carbendazim and imidacloprid were the top detected pesticides in 152 ginger samples with detection rates of 17.11-27.63%, and these pesticides had higher average residues of 44.07-97.63 µg/kg. Although most samples contained low levels of pesticides, 66.45% of the samples were detected with pesticides, and 38.82% were contaminated with 2-5 pesticides. Peeling, washing, boiling and pickling removed different amounts of pesticides from ginger (processing factor range: 0.06-1.56, most <1). By contrast, pesticide residues were concentrated by stir-frying and drying (0.50-6.45, most >1). Pesticide residues were influenced by pesticide physico-chemical parameters involving molecular weight, melting point, degradation point and octanol-water partition coefficient by different ginger processing methods. Chronic and acute dietary risk assessments suggest that dietary exposure to pesticides from ginger consumption was within acceptable levels for the general population. This study sheds light on pesticide residues in ginger from market to processing and is of theoretical and practical value for ensuring ginger quality and safety.

Occurrence and health risk of pesticide residues in Chinese herbal medicines from Shandong Province, China.

Pesticide residue was one of the stress factors affecting quality and safety of Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs). The present study was designed to investigate the occurrence and dietary exposure of 70 pesticide residues in 307 samples of CHMs, including 104 American ginseng, 100 Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum), and 103 Dendrobium officinale (D. officinale) in Shandong Province, China. The study revealed that a total of 29 pesticides were detected in the majority (92.5%) of samples, and the pesticide residues of 85 (27.7%) samples exceeded the maximum residue levels (MRLs). Particularly, the maximum concentration of chlorpyrifos was 23.8 mg kg-1, almost 50 times of the MRLs in food in GB 2763-2021, while there's no standard restrictions specified in CHMs in China. The chronic, acute, and cumulative risk assessment results indicated that risk exposure of the three types of CHMs were unlikely to pose a health risk to consumers. However, more attention should be paid to the multiple residues with the presence of four or more pesticides in one sample and high over-standard rate of pesticides. The pesticide users and the government should pay more attention to the pesticides used in CHMs and regularly monitor the presence of these compounds. The study recommended the MRLs of these pesticides in CHMs should be established and perfected by the relevant departments in China.

Contamination and health risk of pesticides in eight popular Chinese traditional medicines from Zhejiang Province.

Zhejiang Province is one of the top five major provinces producing traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) and is famous for Zhebawei (in Chinese), the eight popular geo-authentic TCMs including Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae, Radix Paeoniae Alba, Thunberg Fritillary Bulb, Chrysanthemum morifolium, Corydalis yanhusuo W. T. Wang, Scrophulariae Radix, Ophiopogonis Radix, and Curcuma Wenyujin Y. H. Chen et C. Ling. High proportion application and residue of pesticides directly affect the quality and yield of TCMs. In this study, pesticides residual levels in crude and processing samples were assessed along with their health risks in Zhebawei primarily produced in Zhejiang Province. In total, the exceeded ratios of pesticides residual concentrations in above mentioned eight species were 15/23, 4/7, 26/70, 22/44, 10/19, 8/12, 7/15, and 0/2, respectively. No acute dietary intake health risks were found but the long-term risks from permethrin in S. Radix should be carefully considered, with all quotient values being higher than 2.1 for all groups between 7 and 70 years. Furthermore, the risks of total benzene hexachloride in T. Fritillary Bulb and carbendazim in C. morifolium should be closely monitored. Suggestions for the cultivation and pesticide management of herbal medicines have been proposed to promote the quality of medicinal materials.

A highly effective SERS platform formed by the fabrication of Ag@ZIF-8@Au nanoparticles for rapid detection of acetamiprid in environment.

The unreasonable spraying and random migration of acetamiprid may cause pollution of crops, soil and water resources in the environment, resulting in threatening ecosystem and human health. However, the monitoring of acetamiprid using mass spectrum in the environment encounters challenges due to high-cost instruments and complex processing time. Herein, we fabricated a rapid and reliable SERS method based on Ag@ZIF-8@Au platforms for tracing acetamiprid residues in the environment. In this method, a MOF material named ZIF-8 is coated with silver nanoparticles and distributed internally between AgNPs and AuNPs to enhance Raman signal, which can enrich pesticide molecules into the hotspots area provided by noble material and helps avoid the oxidation of silver nanoparticles. High sensitivity (LOD of 9.027 × 10-10 M for acetamiprid, and SERS enhancement factor of 4.3 × 107), excellent reproducibility (6.496% or 7.198% RSD for 30 random points) and superior stability (3.127% RSD for 6 weeks) were achieved using the proposed method. Acetamiprid with concentrations from 10-4 to 10-9 M were successfully detected by SERS method. Furthermore, the linear detection models of acetamiprid in different environment matrices (lake water, tea leaves, tea garden soil, oranges and oranges orchard soil) were established and all the correlation coefficient (R2) were higher than or equal to 95%, indicating the excellent adaptability of Ag@ZIF-8@Au platform in environment. The randomly spiked concentrations of acetamiprid were also tested with good recovery values and low relative error values, further confirming the reliability of the detection method.

The bitter side of teas: Pesticide residues and their impact on human health.

Tea (Camellia sinensis) is one of the most widely consumed non-alcoholic beverages globally, known for its rich composition of bioactive compounds that offer various health benefits to humans. However, the cultivation of tea plants often faces challenges due to their high vulnerability to pests and diseases, resulting in the heavy use of pesticides. Consequently, pesticide residues can be transferred to tea leaves, compromising their quality and safety and potentially posing risks to human health, including hormonal and reproductive disorders and cancer development. In light of these concerns, this review aims to: (I) present the maximum limits of pesticide residues established by different international regulatory agencies; (II) explore the characteristics of pesticides commonly employed in tea cultivation, encompassing aspects such as digestion, bioaccessibility, and the behavior of pesticide transfer; and (III) discuss the effectiveness of detection and removal methods for pesticides, the impacts of pesticides on both tea plants and human health and investigate emerging alternatives to replace these substances. By addressing these critical aspects, this review provides valuable insights into the management of pesticide residues in tea production, with the goal of ensuring the production of safe, high-quality tea while minimizing adverse effects on human health.

Simultaneous monitoring and dietary risk assessment of 386 pesticides in market samples of black tea.

Black tea samples (390) collected from local markets situated in different locations of India were monitored for the residues of 386 pesticides using QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) based extraction and analysis by gas and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS). Residues of seventeen pesticides were detected, of which propargite, cypermethrin, and novaluron showed the highest % positive detections. A comparison of the concentrations of the detected pesticide residues with the available national and international maximum residue limits (MRLs) showed that seven samples exceeded the Indian MRLs while no sample was found to exceed the CODEX MRLs. The risk due to the detected pesticide levels evaluated in terms of hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) was found to be very low (<1), suggesting that the pesticide residues in the tea were safe for consumption by Indian adults and children.

Contamination of tea leaves by anthraquinone: The atmosphere as a possible source.

The detection of anthraquinone in tea leaves has raised concerns due to a potential health risk associated with this species. This led the European Union to impose a maximum residue limit (MRL) of 0.02 mg/kg for anthraquinone in dried tea leaves. As atmospheric contamination has been identified as one of the possible sources of anthraquinone residue, this study investigates the contamination resulting from the deposition of atmospheric anthraquinone using a global chemical transport model that accounts for the emission, atmospheric transport, chemical transformation, and deposition of anthraquinone on the surface. The largest contribution to the global atmospheric budget of anthraquinone is from residential combustion followed by the secondary formation from oxidation of anthracene. Simulations suggest that atmospheric anthraquinone deposition could be a substantial source of the anthraquinone found on tea leaves in several tea-producing regions, especially near highly industrialized and populated areas of southern and eastern Asia. The high level of anthraquinone deposition in these areas may result in residues in tea products exceeding the EU MRL. Additional contamination could also result from local tea production operations.

Method Validation for Multi-Pesticide Residue Determination in Chrysanthemum.

The chrysanthemum can be consumed in various forms, representing the "integration of medicine and food". Quantitative analysis of multi-pesticide residues in chrysanthemum matrices is therefore crucial for both product-safety assurance and consumer-risk evaluation. In the present study, a simple and effective method was developed for simultaneously detecting 15 pesticides frequently used in chrysanthemum cultivation in three matrices, including fresh flowers, dry chrysanthemum tea, and infusions. The calibration curves for the pesticides were linear in the 0.01-1 mg kg-1 range, with correlation coefficients greater than 0.99. The limits of quantification (LOQs) for fresh flowers, dry chrysanthemum tea, and infusions were 0.01-0.05 mg kg-1, 0.05 mg kg-1, and 0.001-0.005 mg L-1, respectively. In all selected matrices, satisfactory accuracy and precision were achieved, with recoveries ranging from 75.7 to 118.2% and relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 20%. The validated method was then used to routinely monitor pesticide residues in 50 commercial chrysanthemum-tea samples. As a result, 56% of samples were detected with 5-13 pesticides. This research presents a method for the efficient analysis of multi-pesticide residues in chrysanthemum matrices.

Determination of Multi-pesticides Residues in Jasmine Flower and Its Scented Tea.

For minor crops such as jasmine, the lack of pesticide registration and maximum residue limits are important issues that need to be solved in order to facilitate trading and ensure food safety. Meanwhile, reliable and quick analytical methods for multi-pesticide residues in these commodities are few, but required by various stakeholders. In this study, a method for detecting twenty-five most frequently used pesticides in jasmine flower and its scented tea by multi-plug filtration cleanup and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was developed and validated. The cleanup process was optimized and compared with the dispersive solid phase extraction procedure. The method was validated, showing that except for methomyl, recoveries of twenty-five pesticides were 64%-108%, with relative standard deviations (n = 5) of 0.33%-10%. The method was successfully applied to detect pesticide residues in marketed samples. The results showed that some flower and tea samples contained a combination of different pesticide residues.

Effect of ultrasound assisted cleaning on pesticide removal and quality characteristics of Vitis vinifera leaves.

In this study, the pesticide (acetamiprid, deltamethrin, and pyridaben) removal and physicochemical quality improvement of vine (Vitis vinifera) leaf were examined using ultrasonic and traditional cleaning for 5, 10, and 15 min. After an ultrasonic cleaning procedure at 37 kHz for 10 min, acetamiprid, deltamethrin, and pyridaben in vine leaf were reduced by 54.76, 58.22, and 54.55 %, respectively. Furthermore, the total phenolic content (TPC) in vine leaf increased to 13.45 mg GAE/g DW compared to that in control samples using traditional cleaning (10.37 mg GAE/g DW), but there were no significant differences in DPPH radical scavenging activity. After 15 min of conventional cleaning, the total chlorophyll and total carotenoid content of leaves were found to be lowest among all samples, at 6.52 mg/kg and 0.48 mg/kg, respectively. In conclusion, when compared to conventional cleaning methods, ultrasonic cleaning with no chemicals or heat treatment has proven to be a successful and environmentally friendly application in reducing commonly used pesticides and improving the physicochemical qualities of leaves.

Transfer Behaviors of 30 Pesticide Residues during the Common Processing of Ginseng.

To reduce safety issues of ginseng products caused by excessive pesticide levels, this paper systematically elucidates the transfer rules of pesticides during processing by calculating the transfer rates and processing factors (PFs). The common methods of ginseng processing (water extraction, alcohol extraction, concentration, water extraction and alcohol precipitation, vacuum drying, freeze drying, spray drying) and 30 pesticides frequently occurring in ginseng were used as research objects. The results indicate that the pesticide residues in alcohol extract are much higher than those in water extract. During water extraction and alcohol precipitation, 93.2% of pesticides are transferred to the upper ethanol solution. Besides, drying could reduce the total amount but increase the concentration of pesticide residues. Water extraction-concentration-spray drying (PF ranges from 0.01 to 0.36) and alcohol extraction-concentration-vacuum drying (PF ranges from 1.10 to 3.70) are the processing methods with the lowest and highest pesticide processing factors, respectively.

Pesticides, trace elements and pharmaceuticals in tea samples available in Belgian retail shops and the risk associated upon acute and chronic exposure.

Over the last decade, the consumption of tea and herbal tea has gained more and more popularity across the globe, but the potential presence of chemical contaminants (e.g. pesticides, trace elements, synthetic drugs) may raise health concerns. This study analysed selected teas available in Belgian retail stores and performed a risk assessment for these samples. No chemical adulteration could be detected in dry tea material. More than 38% of the dry leaves samples contained at least one pesticide exceeding the maximal residue level (MRL) set by the EU. However, further risk assessment, based on the values of pesticide residues and the toxic trace elements encountered in the brew, demonstrate that the consumption of these teas will not give rise to health concerns. Nonetheless, attention should be given to the leaching potential of nickel from teas and the presence of arsenic in brews from algae containing teas.

Evaluation of matrix effects for pesticide residue analysis by QuEChERs coupled with UHPLC-MS/MS in complex herbal matrix.

Matrix effects (MEs) can heavily affect the accuracy and reproducibility of a pesticide residue analysis method, especially in complex matrices such as herbs. Therefore, it is of great importance to assess MEs of pesticides in herbal matrices. In this research, the MEs of 28 pesticides and their metabolites in five types of herbs representing different medicinal parts were evaluated by UHPLC-MS/MS analysis after QuEChERs pretreatment. Suppression MEs were found for most organophosphorus and carbamate pesticides while enhancement MEs were observed for sulfonylurea. Besides, stronger inhibition effects were observed for early or late elution pesticides and in matrices of Lonicerae japonicae flos and Perillae folium. Some pesticides were observed with enhancement MEs in Astragali radix. These results indicated that MEs were mainly affected by the retention time of the analytes, the ionization mode of the precursor ions, the overall structure of the compounds, and the chemical composition of the matrices.

Evaluation of a septumless mini-cartridge for automated solid-phase extraction cleanup in gas chromatographic analysis of >250 pesticides and environmental contaminants in fatty and nonfatty foods.

The QuEChERSER mega-method has recently been introduced to quantify and identify a wide range of chemical residues (pesticides, veterinary drugs, environmental contaminants, among others) in nearly all types of foods. The approach calls for taking a small amount of the initial extract to cover analytes amenable to liquid chromatography, and the remainder is salted out for analysis by gas chromatography (GC), both with mass spectrometry (MS) based detection. In the case of GC-MS(/MS), the extract undergoes automated robotic mini-cartridge solid-phase extraction (SPE) cleanup in a technique known as µSPE or instrument-top sample preparation (ITSP). In 2022, a septumless mini-cartridge for µSPE was introduced to improve upon the ITSP design. The new design houses a bed of 20 mg anhydrous MgSO4, 12 mg each of C18 and primary secondary amine sorbents, and 1 mg of graphitized carbon black, the latter substituting for CarbonX used in the ITSP product. The septumless µSPE mini-cartridge employs a different gripping mechanism with the syringe needle that allows leak-free operation at higher flow rates (e.g. 10 µL/s), whereas the ITSP design is limited to 2 µL/s. Based on cleanup and analyte elution profiles, the extract load volume and flow rate was increased in µSPE for QuEChERSER from 300 µL at 2 µL/s to 500 µL at 5 µL/s, which improved accuracy of results, sped the cleanup step, and obviated the need for micro-vial inserts in the receiving vials. The new design also reduced both the amount and consistency of dead (void) volumes in the mini-cartridges from 83 ± 14 µL to 52 ± 7 µL for 200-600 µL load volumes. Normalization of peak areas to internal standards led to recoveries between 80 and 120% with typical RSDs <5% in low-pressure GC-MS/MS of 227-242 out of 252 pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in hemp powder, spinach, whole milk, egg, avocado, and lamb meat.

Simultaneous Determination of 108 Pesticide Residues in Three Traditional Chinese Medicines Using a Modified QuEChERS Mixed Sample Preparation Method and HPLC-MS/MS.

A rapid, efficient, simple, and high-throughput method for the simultaneous determination of 108 pesticide residues in three traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) was established, comprising an improved QuEChERS method in combination with HPLC-MS/MS based on mixed samples. A quantity of 10 mL of acetonitrile was used as extraction solvent, and 10 mg of amino-modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-NH2) and 150 mg of anhydrous magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) were selected as sorbents for dispersive solid phase extraction. The performance of the method was verified according to the analytical quality control standards of SANTE/11813/2017 guidelines. With good linearity (R2 > 0.9984) in the range of 2−200 µg/L for all pesticides in the selected matrices, and good accuracy, precision, and high sensitivity, the recoveries were in the range of 70−120% for more than 95% of the pesticides, with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of less than 16.82% for all. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of the method were 0.01−3.87 µg/kg and 0.07−12.90 µg/kg, respectively, for Fritillaria thunbergii Miq (F. thunbergii), Chrysanthemum Morifolium Ramat (C. morifolium), and Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo (D. officinale). The method was successfully applied to 60 batches of actual samples from different regions.

Dissipation, Processing Factors and Dietary Risk Assessment for Flupyradifurone Residues in Ginseng.

The massive use of pesticides has brought great risks to food and environmental safety. It is necessary to develop reliable analytical methods and evaluate risks through monitoring studies. Here, a method was used for the simultaneous determination of flupyradifurone (FPF) and its two metabolites in fresh ginseng, dried ginseng, ginseng plants, and soil. The method exhibited good accuracy (recoveries of 72.8-97.5%) and precision (relative standard deviations of 1.1-8.5%). The field experiments demonstrated that FPF had half-lives of 4.5-7.9 d and 10.0-16.9 d in ginseng plants and soil, respectively. The concentrations of total terminal residues in soil, ginseng plants, dried ginseng, and ginseng were less than 0.516, 2.623, 2.363, and 0.641 mg/kg, respectively. Based on these results, the soil environmental risk assessment shows that the environmental risk of FPF to soil organisms is acceptable. The processing factors for FPF residues in ginseng were 3.82-4.59, indicating that the concentration of residues increased in ginseng after drying. A dietary risk assessment showed that the risk of FPF residues from long-term and short-term dietary exposures to global consumers were 0.1-0.4% and 12.07-13.16%, respectively, indicating that the application of FPF to ginseng at the recommended dose does not pose a significant risk to consumers.

[Separate Analysis of Loquat Fruit Pulp, Peel, and Pits to Calculate Pesticide Residue Levels in the Whole Commodity].

To evaluate the effects of handling "not detectable" residues (ND: <0.01 mg/kg) in the pulp and detectable residues in the pits on the calculation of pesticide residue in the whole fruit, residue levels in the pulp, peel, and pits of loquat fruits were separately analyzed. Following conventional Japanese agricultural practices, 16 pesticides were sprayed at the maximum application rates in three test fields. All target pesticides were detected at quantifiable levels in the peel (n=144). In contrast, the percentages of detected pesticides in the pulp and pits were 42% (n=61) and 36% (n=52), respectively. Most pesticide residues were present in the peel. For comparison, the pesticide residue levels in the whole fruits were determined based on three indices: the highest estimate (H), calculated using the measured residue levels in the pits and by replacing the ND residues in the pulp as the limit of quantification (LOQ) values; conventional estimate (C), calculated by neglecting all residues in the pits (0 mg/kg) and replacing the ND residues in the pulp as LOQ values; and the lowest estimate (L), calculated by neglecting all residues in the pits and the ND residues in the pulp (0 mg/kg). The L/C and H/C ratios ranged from 74% (L/C) to 106% (H/C). In seven of eighty-three cases with less than 90% difference, residue levels in the whole loquat fruits were low (≤0.06 mg/kg), with the actual range being equal to or below the minimum unit of 0.01. In comparison of three field datasets, the range of residue levels was estimated to be 2.77 mg/kg. Based on the results of separate analysis, handling of ND residues in the pulp and detectable residues in the pits did not significantly affect the calculated pesticide residue levels in the whole loquat fruits.

Emulsification/demulsification method coupled to GC-MS/MS for analysis of multiclass pesticide residues in edible oils.

A simple, rapid, and sensitive method was developed for simultaneous determination of 103 multiclass pesticides in edible oils. A new strategy of sample preparation involving a spontaneous emulsification followed by membrane-based demulsification was proposed. The developed strategy was compared with other reputed clean-up procedures and found to improve the removal efficiency of matrix interferences without a significant loss of pesticides. GC-MS/MS was used to evaluate the proposed treatment methodologies. Recovery studies were performed at 10, 20, and 50 µg/kg levels in soybean oil, olive oil, and rapeseed oil. Throughout the validations, 70-120% overall recoveries were achieved with RSDs < 10% for the majority of pesticides. Limits of quantification ranged from 10 to 50 µg/kg (10 µg/kg for over 92% pesticides), less than the regulatory MRLs. Twenty-two of 30 market samples were found to contain one or several detectable pesticide residues ranged from < 1 to 105.9 µg/kg.

Pesticide residue intake from fruits and vegetables and alterations in the serum metabolome of women undergoing infertility treatment.

BACKGROUND: Pesticide exposure is linked to a myriad of negative health effects; however, the mechanisms underlying these associations are less clear. We utilized metabolomics to describe the alterations in the serum metabolome associated with high and low pesticide residue intake from fruits and vegetables (FVs), the most common route of exposure in humans. METHODS: This analysis included 171 women undergoing in vitro fertilization who completed a validated food frequency questionnaire and provided a serum sample during controlled ovarian stimulation (2007-2015). FVs were categorized as high or low-to-moderate pesticide residue using a validated method based on pesticide surveillance data from the USDA. We conducted untargeted metabolic profiling using liquid chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry and two chromatography columns. We used multivariable generalized linear models to identified metabolic features (p < 0.005) associated with high and low-to-moderate pesticide residue FV intake, followed by enriched pathway analysis. RESULTS: We identified 50 and 109 significant features associated with high pesticide residue FV intake in the C18 negative and HILIC positive columns, respectively. Additionally, we identified 90 and 62 significant features associated with low-to-moderate pesticide residue FV intake in the two columns, respectively. Four metabolomic pathways were associated with intake of high pesticide residue FVs including those involved in energy, vitamin, and enzyme metabolism. 12 pathways were associated with intake of low-to-moderate pesticide residue FVs including cellular receptor, energy, intercellular signaling, lipid, vitamin, and xenobiotic metabolism. One energy pathway was associated with both high and low-to-moderate pesticide residue FVs. CONCLUSIONS: We identified limited overlap in the pathways associated with intake of high and low-to-moderate pesticide residue FVs, which supports findings of disparate health effects associated with these two exposures. The identified pathways suggest there is a balance between the dietary antioxidant intake associated with FVs intake and heightened oxidative stress as a result of dietary pesticide exposure.

Analysis of dietary exposure and risk assessment of pesticide residues in roots and rhizomes of Chinese herbs.

Medicine food homologous (MFH) plants provide therapeutic and health care effects through diet. Thus, a risk assessment system for hazardous ingredient residues is urgently required to ensure their safe use. In this study, the pesticide contamination of six root and rhizome Chinese herbs, Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Panacis Quinquefolii Radix, Pseudostellariae Radix, Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Codonopsis Radix, and Glehniae Radix, and the risks associated with their intake were investigated. A total of 420 MFH plant samples collected from 22 provinces in China were tested, and 61 pesticides were detected in 413 samples. Multiple pesticide residues were detected in each MFH sample, with contents ranging from 0.0002 to 3.010 mg/kg dry weight. Carbendazim (≥47.14%) and propham (≥40%) were the most frequently detected pesticides. Risk assessment determined by hazard quotients indicated that the risks were acceptable, with no short- or long-term adverse health effects. However, considering the high incidence of residues and the detection of unregistered or even prohibited pesticides, strict supervision of soil quality and pesticide application (particularly cadusafos) in MFH plant cultivation are recommended to aid in monitoring MFH plant quality and ensuring diet and drug safety. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Ensure the diet and drug safety of Chinese herbs.