The dietary risk index system: a tool to track pesticide dietary risks.

BACKGROUND: For years the United States Department of Agriculture's Pesticide Data Program and the United Kingdom's Food Standards Agency have published annual or quarterly data on pesticide residues in foods. Both programs report residues in conventionally grown, organic, and imported foods. The US program has tested about 288,000 food samples since 1992, primarily fruits and vegetables consumed by children. Since 1999 the UK has tested about 72,000 samples of a wider range of foods. These data are vital inputs in tracking trends in pesticide dietary risks. METHODS: The Dietary Risk Index (DRI) system facilitates detailed analyses of US and UK pesticide residue data, trends, and chronic risk distributions. The DRI value for a pesticide is the dietary intake of that pesticide from a single serving of food divided by the pesticide's acceptable daily intake as set by the US Environmental Protection Agency. It can be calculated based on average annual residue concentrations, and on residue levels in individual samples of food. DRI values can be aggregated over multiple pesticides in single foods, and over individual pesticides in multiple foods. RESULTS: The DRI system provides insights into the levels, trends, and distribution of pesticide dietary risk across most widely consumed foods. By drawing on both US Pesticide Data Program and UK-Food Standards Agency residue data, the DRI is capable of assessing pesticide risks in a significant portion of the global food supply. Substantial reductions in pesticide dietary risks occurred in the early 2000s, primarily from replacement of organophosphate insecticides with seemingly lower-risk neonicotinoids. However, there remain several areas of concern and opportunities to reduce risks. Both herbicide and fungicide dietary risks are rising. Organically grown produce poses risks far lower than corresponding, conventionally grown produce. Risk differences are inconsistent between domestic and imported foods. CONCLUSIONS: The surest ways to markedly reduce pesticide dietary risks are to shift relatively high-risk fruits and vegetables to organic production. For other foods, reducing reliance on pesticides overall, and especially high-risk pesticides, will incrementally lower risks. The DRI system can help focus such efforts and track progress in reducing pesticide dietary risk.

Potential risks of dietary exposure to chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin from their use in fruit/vegetable crops and beef cattle productions.

The active ingredients (a.i.) used as pesticides vary across regions. Diet represents the main source of chronic exposure to these chemicals. The aim of this study was to look at the pesticides applied in fruit, vegetable, and beef cattle productions in Mendoza (Argentina), to identify those that were simultaneously used by the three production systems. Local individuals (n = 160), involved in these productions, were interviewed. Glyphosate was the a.i. most often used by fruit-vegetable producers, and ivermectin by beef cattle producers. Chlorpyrifos (CPF) and cypermethrin (CYP) were the only a.i. used by the three production systems. The survey revealed that CPF, CYP, alpha CYP, and CPF+CYP were used by 22, 16, 4, and 20% of the fruit and vegetable producers, respectively. Regarding beef cattle, CYP was used by 90% of producers, CYP + CPF formulation by 8%, and alpha CYP by 2%. The second approach of this study was to search the occurrence of CYP and CPF residues in food commodities analyzed under the National Plan for Residue Control (2012-2015). CYP residues found above the LOD were reported in 4.0% and CPF in 13.4% of the vegetable samples tested, as well as in 1.2 and 28.8%, respectively, of the fruit samples tested. Regarding beef cattle, CYP residues were reported in 2.3% and organophosphates (as a general pesticide class) in 13.5% of samples tested. In conclusion, consumers may be exposed simultaneously to CPF and CYP, from fruits, vegetables, and beef intake. Accordingly, the policy for pesticide residues in food and human risk assessment should account for the combined exposure to CPF and CYP. Moreover, appropriate toxicological studies of this mixture (including genotoxicity) are warranted.

Transfer of Caffeine and Its Major Metabolites to Chicken Eggs.

This study aimed to determine whether the eggs of laying hens fed caffeine contain this compound and its primary metabolites (theophylline, theobromine, and paraxanthine). Laying hens were distributed into four experimental groups fed rations containing 0 (control), 150, 300, or 450 µg/g of caffeine. For residual analysis, six eggs per group were collected after 4, 8, and 12 weeks. The concentrations of caffeine, theophylline, theobromine, and paraxanthine were determined in the white and yolk of each egg by a high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detector (HPLC-PDA) method. All four compounds were detected in the white and yolk of eggs produced by hens fed caffeine, but their levels in the egg white were approximately twice those in the yolk. The major metabolite found in eggs was theophylline (57.5% of caffeine metabolites in the egg white and 58.5% in the yolk), followed by theobromine (39.9% in the egg white and 41.5% in the yolk), and paraxanthine (2.64% in the egg white and non-detected in the yolk). In summary, caffeine and its metabolites, theophylline, theobromine, and paraxanthine, are transferred to the chicken eggs.

Residues of pesticide co-formulants in lettuce and parsley: Identification of decline processes using field trials in different cropping systems.

BACKGROUND: Although co-formulants constitute a substantial portion of the total plant protection product (PPP) mass applied to crops, data on residue formation and the behaviour of these substances on plants are scarce. In an earlier study we demonstrated that co-formulants commonly used in PPPs can form considerable residues, i.e., in the low to medium mg/kg range, but normally decline rapidly within few days. In the field trial reported here, we aimed to identify the major decline processes of co-formulants. Residues of co-formulants were therefore monitored in parsley and lettuce grown in an open field as well as under foil tunnels equipped with either an overhead or a drip irrigation system. RESULTS: Dissipation of three anionic surfactants was markedly faster when crops (parsley and lettuce) were exposed to natural rainfall or irrigation from above compared to drip irrigation. In contrast, the decline of three volatile organic solvents was not affected by rain or irrigation, but was dependent on the crop, with much shorter half-lives in lettuce than in parsley. Furthermore, dilution through plant growth contributed significantly to the reduction of residues over time. CONCLUSION: In this work we substantiate earlier findings on the magnitude and dissipation of residues of anionic surfactants and solvents representing the most important co-formulant classes. The chosen experimental setup allowed differentiation between decline processes and we confirm that foliar wash-off is a major dissipation process for anionic surfactants. For volatile organic solvents, dissipation appears to depend on the properties not only of the substance but also of the plant (surface). © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Magnitude and decline of pesticide co-formulant residues in vegetables and fruits: results from field trials compared to estimated values.

BACKGROUND: The application of plant protection products (PPPs) leads to the formation of residues in treated crops. Even though PPPs contain considerable amounts of co-formulants, regulation and monitoring of residues normally focus on the active substances (a.s.) only. For our study we selected four commonly used co-formulants (three anionic surfactants and one organic solvent) and investigated the formation and decline of residues in vegetables and apples under field conditions. The aims were to characterize the behavior of co-formulant residues on crops and to provide a basis for future investigations on consumer exposure. RESULTS: The development of robust and sensitive analytical methods allowed the quantification of residues in the low µg/kg-level. After treatment with PPPs, co-formulants were detected up to approximately 10 mg kg-1 in vegetables. In general, these residues declined fast with half-lives of a few days. Wash-off and volatilization were identified as important removal processes for anionic surfactants and the organic solvent, respectively. However, in specific crops (parsley and celery), organic solvent residues were still considerable (≈2 mg kg-1 ) 2 weeks after treatment. We further demonstrate that it is feasible to estimate co-formulant residues using publicly available data on pesticide a.s. CONCLUSION: To date no information on co-formulant residues in food is available. The findings from our field trials, as well as the presented approach for the prediction of residues, provide key elements for future consideration of consumer exposure to PPP co-formulants. © 2020 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Rational Pharmacotherapy in Infectious Diseases: Issues Related to Drug Residues in Edible Animal Tissues.

Drugs are used in veterinary medicine to prevent or treat animal diseases. When rationally administered to livestock following Good Veterinary Practices (GVP), they greatly contribute to improving the production of food of animal origin. Since humans can be exposed chronically to veterinary drugs through the diet, residues in food are evaluated for effects following chronic exposures. Parameters such as an acceptable daily intake (ADI), the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL), maximum residue limits (MRLs), and the withdrawal periods (WPs) are determined for each drug used in livestock. Drug residues in food exceeding the MRLs usually appear when failing the GVP application. Different factors related either to the treated animal or to the type of drug administration, and even the type of cooking can affect the level of residues in edible tissues. Residues above the MRLs can have a diverse negative impact, mainly on the consumer's health, and favor antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Drug residue monitoring programmes are crucial to ensure that prohibited or authorized substances do not exceed MRLs. This comprehensive review article addresses different aspects of drug residues in edible tissues produced as food for human consumption and provides relevant information contributing to rational pharmacotherapy in food-producing animals.

Optimization of Method for Pesticide Detection in Honey by Using Liquid and Gas Chromatography Coupled with Mass Spectrometric Detection.

This study aimed to optimize and validate a multi-residue method for identifying and quantifying pesticides in honey by using both gas and liquid chromatographic separation followed by mass spectrometric detection. The proposed method was validated to detect 168 compounds, 127 of them by LC-MS/MS (liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometric detection) and 41 by GC-MS/MS (gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometric detection). The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) values for the analytes determined by LC-MS/MS were 0.0001-0.0004 mg/kg and 0.0002-0.0008 mg/kg, respectively. For GC-MS/MS analyses, the LOD and LOQ values were 0.001-0.004 mg/kg and 0.002-0.008 mg/kg. In total, 33 samples of commercial honey produced by apiaries in six Brazilian states were analyzed with the validated method. Residual amounts of 15 analytes were detected in 31 samples (93.9%). The method described in the present study was able to detect an extensive and broad range of pesticides with very high sensitivity.

Natural Quercetin AIEgen Composite Film with Antibacterial and Antioxidant Properties for in Situ Sensing of Al3+ Residues in Food, Detecting Food Spoilage, and Extending Food Storage Times.

Functional materials that can both accurately and conveniently sense food quality and improve food storage times would provide important benefits. To achieve a functional material, which can both sense food quality fluorescently and extend food storage times, a multifunctional film incorporating the natural AIEgen quercetin been has prepared via physically mixing quercetin and poly(vinyl alcohol) in this paper. The as-prepared film was first investigated on the physical properties. The film had a nice mechanical performance and water/CO2 permeability. Optical properties of the film were subsequently determined by UV-vis and fluorescent spectra. The as-prepared film was transparent and showed a good AIE enhancement when exposed to foods containing Al3+ residues and to seafood containing biogenic amines, produced during spoilage. The film also showed good antibacterial and antioxidant activities, which enabled it to be successfully used as a coating to extend food storage times. The film has the potential to be used as a new smart food packaging material, which could both indicate food quality and extend shelf life.

Electric field-assisted solid phase extraction and cleanup of ionic compounds in complex food matrices: Fluoroquinolones in eggs.

The use of electric fields as additional driving forces in sample preparation techniques is an innovative approach that is environmentally friendly, straightforward, and able to overcome several limitations of conventional sample preparation procedures. In this work, the advantages of electric field-assisted solid phase extraction (E-SPE) using syringe-type cartridges were demonstrated for the extraction of four fluoroquinolones (FQs) in their anionic forms. The FQs were extracted from eggs and subsequently determined by UHPLC-MS/MS. The use of electric fields during the washing and final elution steps resulted in a significant improvement of the extraction efficiencies for almost all FQs when compared to conventional SPE. Intra- and inter-day assays showed coefficients of variation below 10%. The better cleanup also resulted in the appearance of less precipitated matter in the final eluate, as well as reduced matrix effects. The results showed that the electrophoretic forces derived from electric fields are a promising way of significantly increasing the extraction efficiency of ionic analytes, while minimizing matrix effects associated with complex samples.

Plaguicidas y salud humana: [revisión] / Pesticides and human health: [review]

La importancia del uso de plaguicidas en la agricultura de exportación ha puesto sobre el tapete el problema potencial de salud derivado de un uso extensivo de estos productos. Este artículo pretende situar el tema de plaguicidas y la salud no sólo por lo que representan las intoxicaciones agudas, sino dejar planteado la pertinencia del interés sanitario asociado a una exposición repetida y sostenida en el tiempo, como es la exposición por residuos en alimentos. Por ello, se hace una revisión somera de los dos grupos plaguicidas de mayor uso e interés toxicológico: los insecticidas y los herbicidas. Se describen además iniciativas de normalización tendientes a un uso más adecuado de estos productos. Por último se deja planteada la pertinencia de desarrollar en el país un programa sistemático de vigilancia de residuos de plaguicidas en alimentos que oriente a una mejoría de las prácticas productivas para entregar a la población nacional alimentos más seguros.

The importance of using pesticides on export agriculture has brought to the fore the potential health problem resulting from extensive use of these products. This article seeks to place the issue of pesticides and health not only for what they represent acute poisoning, but to leave interest raised the relevance of health associated with repeated and sustained over time, as is the exposure to residues in food. Therefore, it makes a brief review of the two groups most commonly used pesticides and toxicological concern: insecticides and herbicides. We also report standardization initiatives aimed at better use of these products. Finally leaving the relevance of developing raised in the country a systematic program of monitoring pesticide residues in food to guide improvement in production practices to deliver the national population safer food.