Pesticides residue levels and cumulative acute dietary intake risk assessment of celery in Zhejiang Province

In order to clarify the pesticide residue levels in celery and the dietary intake risk to the population in Zhejiang Province, 210 celery samples collected in various regions of Zhejiang Province were detected using the standard detection methods of pesticide residues in vegetables, and then the cumulative acute dietary risk was preliminarily evaluated. The results showed that a total of 35 pesticides were detected in 210 celery samples, including 23 insecticides, 11 fungicides, 1 herbicide, and the detection rate was 94.8%. The pesticide residues in 97.1% of the samples were below the maximum residue limit (MRL) in celery, and the residue level was low as a whole. The samples that were found 4 or more pesticides accounted for 54% of the total samples, which means there were multiple pesticide residues. The pesticides were grouped by mechanism of action with relative potency factors (RPF), and the cumulative exposure concentrations were calculated according to the toxicological data of each pesticide; then the cumulative acute dietary intake risk assessment was conducted for different populations. The results showed that the %ARfD of pyrethroids, triazoles, organophosphorus, neonicotinoids, and carbamates were 60.35%, 46.96%, 20.15%, 20.76% and 12.40% to children, respectively; and were 51.70%, 40.20%, 17.25%, 17.77% and 10.65% for general population, respectively. The %ARfD values of the 5 types of pesticides detected in each population were less than 100%, which meant the dietary intake risks of pesticide residues in celery were relatively low and at an acceptable level.