Investigating Six Common Pesticides Residues and Dietary Risk Assessment of Romanian Wine Varieties

High resolution mass spectrometry targeted analysis and suspect screening of pesticide residues in fruit samples and assessment of dietary exposure

Fruits consistently hold a prominent position in healthy dietary habits. Pesticides are used to manage plant diseases, achieve sustainable production, and maintain high food standards. This study utilized a comprehensive analytical technique that involved both targeted analysis and suspect screening. Analysis was conducted using Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid Linear Trap Quadrupole (LTQ)/Orbitrap High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS) to examine pesticide levels in fruits. The matrices chosen comprised fruit commodities that are commonly consumed in Greece, including table grapes, apples, pears, citrus fruits, and strawberries. The QuEChERS approach was effectively validated for 30 specific pesticides. According to the method acceptance criteria established by SANTE, the QuEChERS method have shown exceptional efficiency in extracting the chosen pesticides, with recovery rates ranging from 70% to 120% in three concentration levels (10, 50, 100 μg kg-1). It also exhibited outstanding linearity, with an R2 more than 0.99. The method exhibited exceptional precision, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) below 20%. Additionally, the combined measurement uncertainty (MU%) was found to be acceptable, remaining below 50% The quantification limits were below 10 μg kg-1 for the majority of the analytes, satisfying the Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) established by the European Commission. Following targeted analysis, a dietary risk assessment was performed, revealing that both acute and chronic hazard quotients (aHQ and cHQ), along with chronic hazard index (cHI) were below 1, which indicated that the studied commodities are safe for human consumption. In addition, a suspect screening workflow was developed based on an in-house database comprising 355 pesticides commonly applied to the relevant commodities and related transformation products (TPs). Overall, through suspect screening, twenty-two additional pesticides and TPs not included in the target list were identified. Hence, this approach is anticipated to function as proactive alert system guaranteeing the long-term viability of agricultural production.

Monitoring of seven pesticide residues by LC-MS/MS in extra virgin olive oil samples and risk assessment for consumers

Residue levels of seven pesticides were analyzed in thirty-five samples of Extra Virgin Olive Oil to assess the health risk of consuming Italian oils correlated with the presence of these pesticides. An in-house analytical procedure was developed and validated, consisting of a specific dispersive solid-phase extraction using the QuEChERS technique and a qualitative-quantitative analysis using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Thirty-four percent of the samples were contaminated with pesticide residues; in the concentration range of 0.53-0.56 ng/mL for imazalil, 1.11-1.56 ng/mL for acetamiprid-N-desmethyl, 1.28-1.46 ng/mL for clothianidin, 0.94-1.49 ng/mL for thiacloprid, 1.08-4.64 ng/mL for dinotefuran, 0.42-1.47 ng/mL for thiamethoxam, 0.42-6.14 ng/mL for imidacloprid). Risk assessment was evaluated using the hazard quotient, hazard index, and Pesticide Residue Intake Model by EFSA. All hazard indices confirmed that the concentrations of pesticides detected in the oil samples did not represent a short or long-term risk for consumers' health.

Multivariate Assessment and Risk Ranking of Pesticide Residues in Citrus Fruits

Pesticides are extensively used in the cultivation and postharvest protection of citrus fruits, therefore continuous monitoring and health risk assessments of their residues are required. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of pesticide residues on citrus fruits and to evaluate the acute and chronic risk for adults and children. The risk ranking of twenty-three detected pesticides was carried out according to a matrix ranking scheme. Multiple residues were detected in 83% of 76 analyzed samples. In addition, 28% contained pesticides at or above maximum residue levels (MRLs). The most frequently detected pesticides were imazalil, azoxystrobin, and dimethomorph. According to the risk ranking method, imazalil was classified in the high-risk group, followed by prochloraz, chlorpyrifos, azinphos-methyl, tebufenpyrad, and fenpiroximate, which were considered to pose a medium risk. The majority of detected pesticides (74%) posed a low risk. The health risk assessment indicated that imazalil and thiabendazole contribute to acute (HQa) and chronic (HQc) dietary risk, respectively. The HQc was negligible for the general population, while the HQa of imazalil and thiabendazole exceeded the acceptable level in the worst-case scenario. Cumulative chronic/acute risk (HIc/HIa) assessment showed that chronic risk was acceptable in all samples for children and adults, while the acute risk was unacceptable in 5.3% of citrus fruits for adults and 26% of citrus fruits for children. Sensitivity analyses indicated that the ingestion rate and individual body weight were the most influential risk factors.

Sodium arsenite-induced changes in the wood of esca-diseased grapevine at cytological and metabolomic levels

In the past, most grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) have been controlled by treatments with sodium arsenite. For obvious reasons, sodium arsenite was banned in vineyards, and consequently, the management of GTDs is difficult due to the lack of methods with similar effectiveness. Sodium arsenite is known to have a fungicide effect and to affect the leaf physiology, but its effect on the woody tissues where the GTD pathogens are present is still poorly understood. This study thus focuses on the effect of sodium arsenite in woody tissues, particularly in the interaction area between asymptomatic wood and necrotic wood resulting from the GTD pathogens' activities. Metabolomics was used to obtain a metabolite fingerprint of sodium arsenite treatment and microscopy to visualize its effects at the histo-cytological level. The main results are that sodium arsenite impacts both metabolome and structural barriers in plant wood. We reported a stimulator effect on plant secondary metabolites in the wood, which add to its fungicide effect. Moreover, the pattern of some phytotoxins is affected, suggesting the possible effect of sodium arsenite in the pathogen metabolism and/or plant detoxification process. This study brings new elements to understanding the mode of action of sodium arsenite, which is useful in developing sustainable and eco-friendly strategies to better manage GTDs.

Pesticides Identification and Sustainable Viticulture Practices to Reduce Their Use: An Overview

The use of pesticides is a necessary practice in the modern era. Therefore, it is impossible to ignore the pesticide market, which has developed into one of the most lucrative in the world. Nowadays, humans are subjected to many potential risks, and significant amounts of toxic compounds enter their bodies through food, drink, and the air itself. Identification and quantification of these hazardous compounds is crucial for the sustainable development of an increasing world population which poses high climatic and political constraints on agricultural production systems. The maximum residue limits for pesticides have been regulated by the Codex Alimentarius Commission and European Union to protect human health. In this review, we have summarized and explained the analytical methods for pesticide extraction and determination. Also, sustainable viticulture practices like organic vineyards, tillage, biopesticides, nanobiopesticides, and precision viticulture are briefly discussed. These new techniques allow wine growers to be more profitable and efficient, while contributing to the reduction of pests and increasing the quality of wines.