Residues distribution of triazole fungicides in vegetables and cumulative dietary intake risk to different populations

In order to clarify the possible cumulative dietary intake risk of triazole pesticide residues in vegetables, the residues distribution of 8 triazole pesticides in 1612 batches of vegetable samples from 5 regions of Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province, Shanghai, Anhui Province and Fujian Province were analyzed based on the triazole pesticide residues data obtained from the detection of vegetable samples. The relative potency factor method, the Monte Carlo simulation technique and the Bootstrap sampling technique of probability assessment method were used to evaluate the acute and chronic risk of triazole pesticide intake from vegetables in the target population. The results showed that the most frequently detected pesticides and product combinations were difenoconazole in celery and tomato, and the detection rates reached 23.1% and 20.4%, respectively. Other pesticides with high detection rates were triadimefon, tebuconazole, flusilazole, diniconazole, propiconazole, imazalil and myclobutanil. Among all kinds of vegetables, cucumber contributed the most to the cumulative exposure of different populations, ranging from 50% to 70%. At the 97.5th percentile, the cumulative chronic exposure of triazole pesticides in vegetables to people of all ages was lower than the chronic reference dose (ADI), and the cumulative chronic dietary intake risk quotient of infants aged 0-35 months was the highest, with an average of 34.6%, but still less than 100%. At the 99.9th percentile, the cumulative acute exposure of triazole pesticides in vegetables to people of all ages was lower than the acute reference dose (ARfD), and the cumulative acute dietary intake risk quotient of infants aged from 0 to 35months was the highest, with an average of 51.7%, but also less than 100%. The study indicated that the cumulative acute and chronic dietary intake risks of triazole pesticide residues in vegetables in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Anhui and Fujian were all within acceptable limits.