Study on acute dietary exposure assessment needs for Chinese pesticide MRLs in food

In order to assess the current domestic maximum residue limits for pesticides and the risk level of acute dietary intake for residents, based on the Joint Meeting on Pesticide Residues(JMPR)method on acute dietary exposure assessment for pesticide residues in food, large portion of dietary consumption data, regulated residual testing data for the domestic registration of pesticides and JMPR recommended pesticide toxicology data are used to evaluated the acute dietary exposure of pesticide residues in food for general population, children of 0-6 years old, and women of childbearing age in this study. The results showed that the dietary exposure levels of chlorfenapyr and propineb in Chinese cabbage, also beta-cypermethrin and methomyl in cabbage were higher than its acute reference dose(ARfD)correspondingly for all the 3 population groups. The acute dietary exposure level of flusilazole in bananas were 300% for children of 0-6 years old, and 160% for general population compared with its ARfD, while dithianon in apple, beta-cypermethrin in cabbage, abamectin in broccoli, and propineb in potato exercised a high level of acute dietary exposure risk only to children of 0-6 years old. Compared to other population groups, acute dietary exposure risk to children of 0-6 years old were higher with a large probability. It is suggested that appropriate risk management measures to reduce the risk of acute dietary intake of pesticide residues should be taken early during the elaboration of maximum residue limits(MRLs)as national food safety standards with further refinement of the national short term diet consumption database and pesticide residues database for better protection of consumers from acute dietary exposure at an appropriate level.