Prioritization and Sensitivity of Pesticide Risks from Root and Tuber Vegetables

Area of Science:

• Food safety analysis
• Environmental toxicology
• Public health nutrition

Background:

• Pesticide residues in food pose potential health risks.
• Vegetables are a primary source of dietary exposure to pesticides.
• Assessing cumulative pesticide exposure is crucial for accurate risk evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate pesticide residues in commonly consumed vegetables in Serbia.
• To evaluate the acute and chronic dietary risks associated with pesticide exposure in adults and children.
• To identify specific vegetables contributing most significantly to dietary risk.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 580 vegetable samples using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS/MS).
• Detection of 33 distinct pesticide residues.
• Calculation of hazard quotients (HQs), hazard index (HI), and percentages of Acute Reference Dose (ARfD) and Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI).
• Application of Monte Carlo simulations for chronic exposure variability.

Main Results:

• 33 pesticides detected in 580 samples; 29 samples exceeded Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs).
• Cumulative acute risk reached 63.1% of ARfD for children and 51.1% for adults, with ginger and celery as high-risk items.
• Chronic risk remained below safety thresholds (HI < 1), but children exhibited higher susceptibility (11.0% ADI).
• Sensitivity analysis highlighted body weight and consumption rates as key risk factors.

Conclusions:

• While overall dietary risks from pesticides in Serbian vegetables are within acceptable limits, children face greater vulnerability.
• Ginger and celery require particular attention due to their contribution to cumulative acute risk.
• Monitoring and risk management strategies should consider population-specific consumption patterns and susceptibility.