Addressing Regulatory Gaps: Comprehensive Residue Survey & Risk Assessment for the Specialty Crop Ziziphus mauritiana...

Pesticide residues in specialty crops pose potential health risks to consumers. This study comprehensively investigated the occurrence, residues, and dietary risks of 78 pesticides in Ziziphus mauritiana collected from Hainan and Guangdong, two major production regions in southern China. A total of 150 samples were analyzed using UPLC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS. At least one pesticide was detected in 94.7% of samples, and the MRL exceedance rate was 15.3%, suggesting prevalent pesticide use. A total of 31 pesticides were identified, among which 11 compounds showed detection frequencies above 10%. Multiresidue contamination was common. Most positive samples contained two to four pesticides, and a maximum of eight pesticides were detected in individual samples. Pyraclostrobin, imidacloprid, and prochloraz dominated pesticide residues, collectively accounting for 61.3% of the total cumulative concentration. Additionally, residual pesticide compositions in Z. mauritiana differed markedly across regions and supply chain stages. Acute dietary risk assessment across ten population subgroups revealed that the %ARfD values for all pesticides remained below 100%, indicating no unacceptable acute health risk from Z. mauritiana consumption. However, children aged 3-5 years consistently exhibited the highest %ARfD, and within the same age group, females showed higher acute risk than males. Cyhalothrin, pyraclostrobin, and chlorpyrifos were the top three contributors to acute risk. Based on these findings, we recommend stricter regulatory review and more targeted application guidance for pyraclostrobin, prochloraz, chlorpyrifos, and cyhalothrin. Promotion of low-toxicity alternatives and integrated pest management strategies is also advised. This study provides a scientific basis for residue control and food safety supervision in the Z. mauritiana industry.